The Pali Line

The Third Lesson

TINI NAMA KIM? What is Three?

What three Concepts, when seen to the Root with Penetrating Knowledge, and understood to the broadest limits, such that their repellant nature is seen as it really is and one has released them in their entirety, can bring one to the Uttermost Freedom of Detachment?

The 3 Vedanas — The 3 Sensations

Pleasant Sensation — SUKHA - n
Unpleasant Sensation — DUKKHA - n
Not-Unpleasant-but-Not-Pleasant Sensation — ADUKKHA - m - ASUKHA

Sensation occurs to an already formed, conscious, individual being with intact sense organs.
Sensation is the manner in which a sense experience is felt.

The sort of sensation experienced is a consequence of the intent with which an identified-with predecessor act of mind, speech or body was performed.

Identifying with an act of mind, speech or body
one intends to create pleasure for the self
or pain for another
or one intends to end kamma.
The individual inherits the consequences of his actions
which return as pleasant sensations,
unpleasant sensations
or sensations which are neither pleasant nor unpleasant.

The sense object comes into the range
of a viable organ of sense
together with consciousness.

This is what is called contact.

Upon contact, kamma gets opportunity to mold the character of the sensation arising as a result.

It is the reaction to sensation (sometimes stated as via liking and disliking) that is what is called TANHA, hunger/thirst: desire to re-create, desire to get away from.
If there is desire in connection with sensations which are neither pleasant nor unpleasant, it is a desire to experience sensations that are pleasant, or in other words, another blind desire.
Non-reaction to such sensation is a taste of Nibbana in the here and now.

This is the beginning of a new cycle and it is also here that the new cycle can be averted.

Mala Miscellaneous Odd Bit of Information: The Origin of 108 as a holy number, and the number of beads in the Buddhist MALA (Not a Pali Buddhist practice, other schools of Buddhism use these necklaces made of Sandalwood or Rosewood or Crystal or other materials [including human bones carved into miniature skulls] in counting the breaths and mantra repetition, and divination.)

The Three Sense Experiences X The Six Senses = 18

Downbound to the world and Connected to Giving Up = 18 X 2 = 36

Past, Future, and Present (always end up in the present) = 36 X 3 = 108

Practicing Divination via devices is looked down upon by the Pali. This practice, which takes a long time to perfect, is done by developing a "story" for each bead, beginning with its root meaning (e.g., Past Pleasant Sight Downbound to the World = bead # 1). At such a time as a question is asked of one, one is able to enter the realm of the answer by becoming absorbed in the story that relates most closely to the question.