The gross physical body, the ether body which acts as the template for the physical body, the astral body which is the body of emotions and the lower mental body which is the body of memory or thoughts constitute the 'lower self'. When there is no or limited awareness or control over the emotions or thoughts, the consciousness mainly dwells in the 'lower self'.

On the physical plane, there is a lot of physical matter. However, that part of the physical matter which is connected to my individual consciousness is 'me'.

Similarly, on the astral and lower mental planes, there are the prototypes of all types of emotions and thoughts respectively. However, that part of the astral and mental matter which is connected to my individual consciousness is 'me'.

The higher mental body which is the causal body and carries the seeds of tendency of the 'Individual Consciousness', the buddhi which is the plane of 'Wisdom and Understanding' and the Atma which is the 'Individual Consciousness' constitute the 'higher self'. When the lower self is brought under control, the consciousness mainly dwells in the 'higher self'.

On the causal plane, the tendency seeds associated with my individual consciousness constitute 'me'.

On the plane of the buddhi, the wisdom and understanding that are part of my individual consciousness constitute 'me'.

My individual consciousness is the 'Atma'.

Water vapor turns into water which turns into ice as temperature gets colder, and the ice turns into water which turns into water vapor as the temperature gets hotter. The water exists in different forms depending on it's surrounding temperature.

Similarly, the individual consciousness appears in different forms depending on its connections and associations with the matter of the different 'planes'.

After physical death, the lower self is disintegrated. The individual consciousness resides in the higher self. However, the 'seeds' of the 'qualities' of the lower self get incorporated and stored in the individual consciousness. Upon rebirth, the higher self is connected to a new lower self. The constitution of the new lower self is determined based on the seeds at previous physical death stored in the individual consciousness.

Only those things can be said to exist which can be perceived through the senses and nothing besides them.

All of the above constitute False Knowledge.

The Causal Chain

Avijja - Not knowing

• Not knowing suffering, it’s origination, it’s cessation, the way of practice leading to it's cessation.

• Represented by a blind old man.

Sankhara - Habits, Seeds

• Body, speech and mind fabrications.

• Represented by a potter making pots.

Vinnana - Rebirth Consciousness

• Six classes of consciousness: Eye, Ear, Nose, Tongue, Body, Intellect.

• Represented by a monkey.

NamaRupa - Form

• Nama: Feeling, perception, intention, contact, attention.

• Rupa: The four great elements (earth, water, air, fire) and the body dependent on them

• Represented by men in a boat.

Salayatana - Sixfold sense bases

• The six internal sense organs and the six external sense media: Eye and Form, Ear and Sound, Nose and Aroma, Tongue and Flavor, Body and Tactile Sensation, Intellect and Ideas.

• Represented by a house with windows.

Phassa - Contact

• Coming together of the object, the sense medium and the consciousness of that sense medium.

• Represented by an intimate couple.

Vedana - Sensation

• • Six forms of sensations: Vision, Hearing, Taste, Touch, Smell, Thought.

  • Represented by a man with an arrow in his eye.

Tanha - Thirst

• • Six classes of thirst: Form, Sound, Smell, Taste, Touch, Ideas.

  • Represented by drinking.

Upadana - Clinging

• • Four clingings: Sensual (kama), View (ditthi), Practice (silabbata), self (attavada).

  • Represented by picking fruit.

Bhava - Becoming

• • Three becomings: Sensual (kama), Form (rupa), Formless (arupa).

  • Represented by a young woman.

Jati - Birth

• • Whatever birth, taking birth, descent, coming to be, coming forth, appearance of aggregates, acquisition of sense media; of the various beings in this or that group of beings.

  • Represented by a woman giving birth.

Jaramarana - Aging Death

• • Whatever aging, decrepitude, brokenness, graying, wrinkling, decline of life force, weakening of the faculties, of the various beings in this or that group of beings.

  • Whatever deceasing, passing away, breaking up, disappearance, dying, death, completion of time, break up of the aggregates, casting off of the body, interruption in the life faculty, of the various beings in this or that group of beings.

  • Represented by carrying a corpse.

Aging and death (jaramarana) come from birth as their requisite condition.

Birth (jati) comes from becoming as its requisite condition.

Becoming (bhava) comes from clinging as its requisite condition.

Clinging (upadana) comes from craving as its requisite condition.

Craving (tanha) comes from feeling as its requisite condition.

Feeling (vedana) comes from contact as its requisite condition.

Contact (phassa) comes from name-and-form as its requisite condition.

From name-and-form (namarupa) as a requisite condition comes consciousness.

From consciousness (vinnana) as a requisite condition comes name-and-form.

From name-and-form as a requisite condition comes contact.

From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling.

From feeling as a requisite condition comes craving.

From craving as a requisite condition comes clinging.

From clinging as a requisite condition comes becoming.

From becoming as a requisite condition comes birth.

From birth as a requisite condition, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair come into play.

Such is the origination of this entire mass of stress.

Reversal of the causal chain

Suffering (dukkha) leads to faith.

Faith (saddha) leads to joy.

Joy (pamojja) leads to rapture.

Rapture (piti) leads to tranquility.

Tranquility (passaddhi) leads to happiness.

Happiness (sukha) leads to concentration.

Concentration (samadhi) leads to knowledge and vision of things as they are.

Knowledge and vision of things as they are (yathabhutananadasanna) leads to disenchantment with worldly life.

Disenchantment with worldly life (nibbida) leads to dispassion.

Dispassion (viraga) leads to freedom.

Freedom, release, emancipation (vimutti) leads to the knowledge of destruction of the cankers.

Knowledge of destruction of the cankers (asavakhayenana) leads to cessation of suffering.

Discussion

Pratitya --> confirmed

Samutpada --> origin

Pratityasamutpada --> arising depending on the previous link

Dvadasa --> twelve

Nidana --> cause

Dvadasanidanani --> a list of twelve causes

Pratityasamutpada dvadasanidanani or the twelve nidānas is a linear list of twelve elements from the Buddhist teachings.

The origin of birth and death lies in avijja, not knowing.

Not knowing gives rise to activity.

Experience from repeated activity is stored in seeds, sankharas.

The following in turn give rise to the next: vinnana, namarupa, salayatana, phassa, vedana, tanha, upadana, bhava, jati, jaramarana, circling back to vinnana.

Thus, these causes form a cycle of birth and death, the circle of life.

*******

The process of birth and death is the process of descending from the formless world, the Arupaloka into the world of form, the Rupaloka.

It is the process of descending into the physical body, and then ascending back to the formless world.

The higher three worlds on the Tree of Life are the formless worlds, the Arupaloka.

The lower seven worlds are worlds of form, each of increasing density, the Rupaloka.

The Arupaloka and the Rupaloka are separated by an Abyss or a Mountain.

The causal chain explains the descent into matter, and the cycle of life and death.

The reversal of the causal chain explains the ascent back into the formless worlds.

The path from avijja to vinnana to jaramarana, the cycle of life and death, leads to suffering, which leads to faith and ultimately the destruction of the cankers.

This is the natural path of ascent, where the Consciousness is swept onwards with the wave of life, with or without a choice.

This is Path 1.

On the other hand, individuals may make a conscious decision to expedite this process of reversal and ascent.

This is Path 2.

*******

1

The world of Atma is the world of 'avijja, no knowing'; there is neither perception nor non-perception.

This stage is represented by a blind woman.

On Path 1, 'no knowing' leads to action, or constructing activities.

On Path 2, knowing leads to the destruction of the cankers.

*******

2

The world of Buddhi is where the 'sankharas, permanent seeds' are formed.

The three permanent seeds are the mental body seed, the astral body seed and the physical body seed.

These seeds store all mental, astral and physical experiences from all lives.

These experiences lead to happiness, unhappiness or equanimity.

Therefore these experiences imply an inclination.

Inclination implies lack of balance.

Lack of balance creates karmic imprint.

This stage is represented by a potter making pots.

The pots are used to hold water.

Although the water in the pots may be from the same source, the water in each pot is distinct and different from the water in another pot or from the source.

Each pot allows the water held in it to be 'separate and discrete'.

Similarly, the sankharas or the habits, seeds, impart 'individuality'.

On Path 1, actions (body, speech, mind) that create karmic imprint lead to the formation of the permanent seeds.

On Path 2, the breaking of habits/sankharas and cessation of actions (body, speech, mind) that create karmic imprint lead to the destruction of the permanent seeds.

*******

3

The world of Ego is the world of 'vinnana, consciousness'.

The permanent seeds rest in the consciousness or the Ego.

At death, all experiences gained throughout the lifetime are stored in these permanent seeds.

At rebirth, these permanent seeds regerminate to create a new mental body, a new astral body and a new ether/physical body.

Therefore, this consciousness is also termed as 'rebirth consciousness'.

The six classes of consciousness enable the Ego to gain experience by making contact with the external sense media like form, sound, etc. through the internal sense organs like the physical eye, ear, etc.

This stage is represented by a monkey.

A monkey imitates other's movements.

Similarly, the Ego consciousness watches, learns and moves.

On Path 1, old experience stored in the permanent seeds conditions the Ego; new experience gained by the consciousness is stored in the permanent seeds.

On Path 2, the Ego learns that the cause of movement lies in the inclination latent in the permanent seeds; thus Ego learns to balance the inclinations.

*******

4

The NamaRupa constitutes the ‘lower-self’, consisting of the mental body, the astral body, and the etheric template which determines the shape of the physical body.

The world of the lower mental body is the world of thoughts.

The world of the astral body is the world of feelings.

These form the Nama.

The ether body acts as the template for the physical body.

This forms the Rupa.

This stage is represented by men in a boat.

The men represent the mental, astral and ether body.

The boat represents the 'Man', the collection of the aggregates or the seven bodies of man.

The boat carries the men in it.

Similarly, the 'Man' carries the mental, astral and ether bodies as part of his constitution.

On Path 1, the thoughts, feelings and actions of the lower-self condition the experiences of the Ego Consciousness; the Ego Consciousness is controlled by the lower-self.

On Path 2, the Ego Consciousness takes control of the lower-self and conditions own experiences.

*******

The lower-self forms the descending triangle consisting of the mental body, astral body and ether body.

The ascending triangle is established between the Ego, the mental body and astral body.

The old experiences stored in the permanent seeds in the Ego condition the mental and astral bodies.

The new experiences gained by the mental and astral bodies condition the Ego.

Thus Vinnana and NamaRupa condition each other forming a loop.

*******

5

The six sense organs of the physical body and the sense objects, the salayatana are on the physical plane.

This stage is represented by a house with windows.

The house is a building which gives shelter to its occupants.

The occupants can see the outside through the windows.

Similarly, the 'human body', the 'physical body' has six windows, the six sense organs which can be used to sense the outside world.

On Path 1, the sixfold sense bases are used to gain experiences.

On Path 2, the Ego controls the sixfold sense bases to achieve its purpose.

*******

6

The Ego Consciousness makes contact, phassa with the sense objects through the six internal sense organs.

This stage is represented by an intimate couple.

The union of the couple leads to a feeling of bliss, of satisfaction.

Similarly, the union of the Ego Consciousness with the sense objects through the sense organs results in a feeling of bliss, satisfaction.

On Path 1, the Ego Consciousness indulges in the contacts.

On Path 2, the Ego Consciousness is a conscious Observer of the contacts.

*******

7

Sensations, vedana are perceived as:

• Pleasant leading to happiness or joy.

• Unpleasant leading to unhappiness or distress.

• Neutral leading to equanimity.

These sensations are stored in the astral body.

This stage is represented by a man with an arrow in his eye.

The man has lost vision in one eye.

His vision is no longer bilateral, it is skewed.

Similarly, the feelings skew the vision of the Ego Consciousness.

The Ego no longer perceives things as they really are.

On Path 1, the sensations give rise to the eighteen explorations of the intellect or thirty six states of being.

On Path 2, the Ego Consciousness dwells on the plane of the astral body, and tries to perceive things as they really are.

*******

8

The memory of the sensation is stored in the lower mental body.

Thirst, tanha arises to feel that sensation more and more.

This stage is represented by drinking.

A man addicted to drinking alcohol craves for alcohol.

Similarly, the Ego addicted to sensations and feelings craves for the sensations and feelings.

On Path 1, the mental body stores memories which create the basis for thirst.

On Path 2, the Ego Consciousness dwells on the plane of the mental body, and uses the rational thinking capacity to evaluate the cause for the thirst.

*******

9

The thirst gives rise to upadana, clinging.

The Ego clings, creating a fetter, a canker, a chain.

This stage is represented by picking fruit.

It represents grasping, actively striving to acquire, and satisfy thirst.

On Path 1, the Ego clings to either sensations, or views, or practice or a view of 'a self'.

On Path 2, the Ego dwells on the plane of the Causal Body, and uses abstract thinking capacity to evaluate the cause for the clinging to break the fetters.

*******

10

Clinging leads to bhava, becoming in the kamaloka, rupaloka or arupaloka.

The kamaloka is the world of desire and includes the physical/ether and astral planes.

The rupaloka is the world of form and includes the mental, causal, buddhic and atmic planes.

The arupaloka is the formless world and includes the three higher worlds on the Tree of Life.

This stage is represented by a young woman.

A young woman represents a 'womb', a suitable environment for the development of an embryo.

Similarly, the Ego Consciousness searches for a womb, so that it may take birth, to satisfy it's thirst.

On Path 1, the becoming leads to birth in the kamaloka, rupaloka or arupaloka.

On Path 2, the Ego Consciousness has reached the plane of the Buddhi, and acquires wisdom to know the cause of becoming and to eliminate those causes.

*******

11

Becoming leads to jati, birth.

This stage is represented by a woman giving birth.

On Path 1, the birth is subconscious/unconscious, and conditioned by the clinging.

On Path 2, the Ego Consciousness dwells on the plane of atma, and knowing the cause of birth and death, consciously walks on the path to the cessation of birth and death; the birth, if any, is conscious.

*******

12

Where there is birth, there is jaramarana, aging and death.

This is represented by carrying a corpse.

On Path 1, death is unconscious. The soul leaves the body without a choice.

On Path 2, death is conscious. The soul inhabits or leaves a body out of choice.

*******

Summary:

1. Avijja or No-Knowing leads to activity.

2. Repeated activity becomes a habit, sankhara.

These sankharas are stored in permanent seeds.

There are three permanent seeds (mental, astral and physical body seeds).

The permanent seeds are used to store all experiences of all lives.

3. The permanent seeds are stored in the Causal body.

The Causal body with the permanent seeds form the Ego Consciousness.

4. Thoughts are stored as memories in the mental body.

Feelings are stored as sensations in the astral body.

The composition of the mental and astral body determine the composition of the ether body.

The ether body serves as a template for the physical body.

Thus the 'lower-self' consisting of the mental, astral and ether bodies is formed.

Note:

• The lower-self gains new experience and conditions the Ego.

• The Ego conditions the lower-self through old experiences stored in the permanent seeds.

• Thus the Ego and the lower-self condition each other.

5. The physical body provides a mechanism for the contact of the Ego Consciousness with the sense objects through the six sense organs.

6. The contact is established, there is union of the Ego Consciousness with the sense objects.

7. The union produces a sensation of joy, or distress, or equanimity.

8. The memory of the union creates a thirst for repeated union.

9. The Ego clings to bring about the union.

10. The Ego searches for a suitable womb to take birth.

11. The Ego is reborn.

12. There is aging and death of some of the aggregates.

Due to No-Knowing, the cycle repeats.

12. On Knowing, the cause of 'aging and death' is determined to be 'birth'.

11. The cause of 'birth' is determined to be 'the entering into the womb'.

10. The cause of 'entering into the womb' is determined to be 'clinging'.

9. The cause of 'clinging' is determined to be 'thirst'.

8. The cause of 'thirst' is determined to be 'sensation'.

7. The cause of 'sensation' is determined to be 'contact'.

6. The cause of 'contact' is determined to be 'the six senses' of the physical body.

5. The constitution of the 'physical body' is determined by the 'ether body'.

4. The mental, astral and ether bodies form the 'lower-self'.

The constitution of the 'lower-self' is determined by the permanent seeds in the 'Causal body'.

3. The 'Causal body' or 'Ego' is conditioned by 'sankharas'.

2. The cause of 'sankharas' is determined to be 'no-knowing'.

1. Therefore, 'Knowing' is the path to the cessation of the cycle of birth and death.

Eighteen Explorations for the Intellect

Seeing a form via the eye, one explores a form that can act as the basis for

• happiness

• unhappiness

• equanimity

Hearing the sound via the ear, one explores the sound that can act as the basis for

• happiness

• unhappiness

• equanimity

Smelling an aroma via the nose, one explores the aroma that can act as the basis for

• happiness

• unhappiness

• equanimity

Tasting a flavor via the tongue, one explores the flavor that can act as the basis for

• happiness

• unhappiness

• equanimity

Feeling a tactile sensation via the body, one explores the tactile sensation that can act as the basis for

• happiness

• unhappiness

• equanimity

Cognizing an idea via the intellect, one explores the idea that can act as the basis for

• happiness

• unhappiness

• equanimity

Thus there are six happiness explorations, six distress explorations and six equanimity explorations.

Discussion

The four noble truths are:

• There is suffering

• Suffering has a cause

• There is cessation of suffering

• There is a path to the cessation of suffering

The salayatana vibhanga sutta describes the causes of suffering and the path to the cessation of suffering.

The causes of suffering

There is consciousness.

There are six sense organs or internal sense media (eye, ear, nose, tongue, tactile sensation, intellect).

There are six external sense media (form, sound, aroma, flavor, body, idea) that can be sensed using the sense organs.

The consciousness uses the six sense organs to make contact with the six external sense media.

Thus there are 'six classes of contact', which connect the 'six classes of consciousness' to the 'six internal sense media' and the 'six external sense media'.

Each contact can act as a basis for happiness, unhappiness or equanimity.

Thus there are six happiness explorations, six unhappiness explorations and six equanimity explorations.

Therefore, there are eighteen explorations of the intellect.

Each happiness, unhappiness or equanimity exploration can be further divided into two classes - Household and Renunciation.

The joy in acquisition, or in recalling a previous acquisition is household joy.

Since contact and acquisition can be made via the six sense organs, there are six states of household joy.

The joy of right discernment is renunciation joy.

Since contact can be made via the six sense organs, and each may be determined to be inconstant, stressful, etc., there are six states of renunciation joy.

The distress in non-acquisition, or in recalling a previous non-acquisition is household distress.

Since there are six states of acquisition, there are corresponding six states of non-acquisition, and thus six states of household distress.

The distress from the longing for liberation is renunciation distress.

Since there are six states of renunciation joy, so there are corresponding six states of renunciation distress.

When there is contact but no joy or distress, this is household equanimity; This equanimity does not go beyond the contact.

There are six states of household equanimity, one for each sense organ.

When there is right discernment and neither joy nor distress, this is renunciation equanimity; This equanimity goes beyond the contact.

Thus there are six states of renunciation equanimity corresponding to the six states of renunciation joy and distress.

These are the thirty six states to which beings are attached.

The path to the cessation of suffering

'Happiness or joy' and 'unhappiness or distress' are feelings. These dwell in our astral body.

The state of equanimity is a state of balance, where there is no joy and no distress.

Thus if we dwell in a state of equanimity, we transcend the state of joy and distress.

That is how we clean up our astral body.

Depending on this, abandon that

Such is their transcending

1. When there is right discernment regarding the inconstancy, stress, etc. related to the six sense media, the joy on acquisition or recalling previous acquisition is abandoned and transcended.

2. When there is longing for liberation, the distress on non-acquisition is abandoned and transcended.

3. When the right discernment goes beyond external media, when there is deeper understanding of the esoteric truth, the desire for contact with external media is abandoned and transcended.

4. When there is joy with regard to right discernment, the distress on longing for liberation is abandoned and transcended.

5. When the right discernment goes beyond external media, when there is deeper understanding of the esoteric truth, the joy on right discernment is abandoned and transcended.

Thus, we abandon and transcend joy and distress and dwell in a state of equanimity.

Renunciation equanimity can be divided into 2 classes.

Equanimity coming from multiplicity, dependent on multiplicity.

This is equanimity with regards to the external sense media like forms, aroma, etc.

Equanimity coming from singleness, dependent on singleness.

This is equanimity dependent on the dimension of the infinitude of space, on the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness, on the dimension of nothingness, on the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.

By depending & relying on equanimity coming from singleness, abandon & transcend equanimity coming from multiplicity.

Finally, by depending & relying on non-fashioning, abandon & transcend the equanimity coming from singleness.

This leads to the cessation of suffering.

When trained by the Tathagata, a worthy and rightly self-awakened person fans out in eight directions.

• Possessed of form, he sees forms; This is the first direction.

• Not percipient of form internally, he sees forms externally; This is the second direction.

Both these directions lie on the physical plane dependent on the physical body and the six sense media.

• He is intent only on the beautiful; This is the third direction.

This direction lies on the astral plane. There is happiness and unhappiness.

By transcending feelings and sensations, a state of equanimity is achieved.

• With the complete transcending of perceptions of form, with the disappearance of perceptions of resistance, and not heeding perceptions of diversity, perceiving 'Infinite space,' he enters and remains in the dimension of the infinitude of space; This is the fourth direction.

This direction lies on the mental plane.

By transcending thoughts, there is perception of infinite space.

• With the complete transcending of the dimension of the infinitude of space, perceiving, 'Infinite consciousness,' he enters and remains in the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness; This is the fifth direction.

This direction lies on the causal plane.

By transcending the Ego, infinitude of consciousness is perceived.

• With the complete transcending of the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness, perceiving, 'There is nothing,' he enters and remains in the dimension of nothingness; This is the sixth direction.

This direction lies on the plane of the buddhi or wisdom.

By acquiring absolute knowledge and wisdom, the buddhi is transcended, and there is perception of nothingness.

• With the complete transcending of the dimension of nothingness, he enters and remains in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception; This is the seventh direction

This direction lies on the plane of atma or spirit. The being exists in a state of neither perception nor non-perception.

• With the complete transcending of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, he enters and remains in the cessation of perception and feeling; This is the eighth direction.

• This direction lies beyond the abyss. The seven bodies of man are transcended. There is cessation of perception and feeling.

Thus there is cessation of suffering.