Conditioned by volitional formations, consciousness arises. (Part 3)

If one strives to attain the rūpāvacara jhānas (fine-material sphere absorptions), rūpa kusala sankhāras (meritorious volitional formations pertaining to the fine-material sphere) arise. From these meritorious formations, the five types of rūpāvacara vipāka viññāṇa (resultant consciousness pertaining to the fine-material sphere) will arise. The rebirth-linking consciousness (paṭisandhi-citta) occurs with one suitable type from these five, and one becomes a Great Brahma God in the fine-material sphere. If one dies with a first rūpāvacara jhāna kusala citta (meritorious first jhāna consciousness), that kusala consciousness causes the arising of the first jhāna vipāka citta (resultant consciousness), and one is reborn as a Brahma in the three realms of the first jhāna. The resultant consciousness of the second jhāna leads to the three realms of the second jhāna; the third jhāna resultant consciousness leads to the three realms of the third jhāna; the fourth jhāna resultant consciousness leads to the Vehapphala realm and the five Suddhāvāsa realms. One is reborn in the respective realms according to the jhāna attained. As for the non-percipient beings (asaññasatta brahmas), they take rebirth with a life-nonad (jīvitanavaka kalāpa rūpa); they have only matter, no mind. Therefore, they must be considered an exception here. The text moves past viññāṇa (consciousness) and directly proceeds to nāmarūpa (mind and matter). When one strives to attain the arūpāvacara jhānas (immaterial sphere absorptions), which are higher than the rūpa jhānas, arūpa kusala sankhāras (meritorious volitional formations pertaining to the immaterial sphere) arise. From these kusala formations (specifically, the ānañcābhisaṅkhāra), the resultant is given: the rebirth-linking consciousness is established with one of the four types of arūpāvacara vipāka viññāṇa (immaterial sphere resultant consciousness), and one becomes a Great Immaterial Brahma God. Therefore, if there is a khandha (aggregate), it is invariably dukkhasaccā (the Truth of Suffering). However, it must be understood that within suffering, there are two kinds: the suffering of a happy destiny (sugati dukkha saccā) and the suffering of an unhappy destiny (duggati dukkha saccā). When we say 'the Truth of Suffering,' no kind of suffering is good. They are all unsatisfactory phenomena; there is nothing truly endearing to be found. One will be born, age, get sick, and die. Whatever khandhā one obtains, one cannot escape this danger. If there is a khandhā, there is arising and passing away. This arising and passing away is constantly oppressive; it is merely the acquisition of a great mass of suffering and stress. Avijjā (ignorance) and saṅkhāra (formations) are the cause, samudayasaccā (the Truth of the Origin of Suffering). It is because of this causal truth of origin that the resultant, the five-aggregate dukkhasaccā, comes to be. This was summarized by saying "with formations as condition, consciousness arises." A fairly comprehensive explanation, in accordance with the texts and commentaries, has now been given on how this arises. Because of formations, consciousness arises, and thus one obtains the great dhamma of the five aggregates, the Truth of Suffering. The human aggregate is the Truth of Suffering, the deva aggregate and the brahma aggregate are the Truth of Suffering; the aggregate in the lower realms is the Truth of Suffering. In short, all beings in the entirety of the 31 planes of existence, all who possess aggregates, have only the Truth of Suffering. Who created these five aggregates of suffering? Was it an eternal God? The primordial Brahmas? There is no need to speculate or doubt. It is solely due to the cause of samudaya: ignorance and formations. No deva or brahma created it. Now that we have explained how rebirth-linking consciousness arises, I would like to briefly discuss the principle of how functional (pavatti) consciousness arises. Due to past mahākusala cetanā (great meritorious volition) (8 types), the present-life ahetuka kusala vipāka citta (8 types) and mahāvipāka citta (8 types) arise. Vipāka cittas (resultant consciousness) are those that mostly arise at the moments of rebirth-linking (paṭisandhi), life-continuum (bhavanga), and death (cuti). However, the ahetuka vipāka cittas also arise appropriately within every cognitive process (vīthi). The five sense consciousnesses – eye-consciousness (cakkhuviññāṇa), ear-consciousness (sotaviññāṇa), nose-consciousness (ghānaviññāṇa), tongue-consciousness (jivhāviññāṇa), and body-consciousness (kāyaviññāṇa) – are resultant phenomena that arise due to past causes. To have visual consciousness arise means it is a resultant consciousness; vipāka means a resultant phenomenon. Seeing pleasant sights, encountering things one likes, having the opportunity to meet and be with people one is fond of – these are all good resultant phenomena. The chance to meet, encounter, and be with people one can love and respect are good phenomena. This is called the arising of visual resultant consciousness, a resultant phenomenon. It is due to past kusala (merit) that one encounters such good scenery and good visual objects. It is not without cause. If you think, "This person is so good to me," the opportunity to meet them is because your past causes were not devoid of goodness. In this world, human happiness is also based on the five strands of sensual pleasure (kāmaguṇa). Understand that the ability to enjoy these five to one's heart's content is due to good past causes. For example, when you go to City Mart, you see many desirable visual objects. It's the same when you go to shopping malls. The chance to watch high-quality 3D movies, own nice cars, own luxurious houses, have an abundance of diamonds, gold, silver, and gems – this is the fullness of visual objects. Abundance of possessions is the fullness of visual objects. Because visual objects are abundant, one gets to see only good things – this is the result of past kusalakamma. The visual opportunities of one person differ from another. It's like the difference between someone who has only been to Lower Myanmar and not Upper Myanmar, and someone who has been all over both. Someone who has only stayed within Myanmar and never been abroad does not get to see as many sights as someone who has traveled overseas. Just this difference in travel experience creates a gap. Ownership will also differ. All these disparities in every aspect are just the results of kamma. Similarly, the arising of auditory consciousness – hearing pleasant sounds, good music, the voice of someone one likes – should be understood as good results. It is the same for smell, taste, and touch. Whether one can use perfumes or not; even if one can, the quality of makeup or perfume one can use differs. In food and drink, the ability to eat and drink well also differs from person to person. It is the same for tactile objects. Ownership of luxury items varies. All these are said to be due to the past mahākusala cetanā (great meritorious volition), the eight types of formations. This is called present-life result (pavattiphala). However, it should not be definitively concluded that they arise solely due to past kamma. Some things are not obtained due to a lack of present effort. Therefore, it must be noted that it is also greatly related to present endeavor (paccuppannapayoga), exertion, and striving. Conversely, seeing, encountering, hearing, smelling, tasting, and experiencing unpleasant things are the results of past akusalakamma (demerit). These are called akusalavipākacittas (unwholesome resultant consciousnesses) – the results of demerit. They are also related to present effort. The kusala and akusala deeds done in this present life can also cause these resultant consciousnesses to arise. Some kammas can yield results in this very life. Therefore, understand concisely that, according to the doctrine of Dependent Origination (Paṭiccasamuppāda), encountering good objects and having the opportunity to own them is the result of kamma, and encountering bad objects and having the opportunity to own them is also the result of kamma – this is called giving present-life results (pavattiphala). Good and bad results are merely the resultant phenomena of kamma. Kamma can be said to be action and the results of action. In just one lifetime, one performs countless kammas, so from many lifetimes, the kammas one has performed are immeasurable and exist in one's mental continuum. There are both good and bad kammas. These kammas yield results, one obtains an aggregate in some plane of existence, that aggregate performs new kammas, conditions for a future aggregate are created again, the kammas performed by that future aggregate become causes again – the causal kamma (samudaya) arises, the resultant aggregate (dukkha) appears, and thus samudaya (origin) and dukkha (suffering) cycle around. Kamma is the cause, the aggregate is the effect. Samudaya is the cause, dukkha is the effect. In this way, as long as the cause is not ceased, the effect is not ceased. Therefore, it is not easy to find the way out of saṃsāra (the cycle of rebirth). To be liberated from saṃsāra, if the cause ceases, the effect will cease. Therefore, we are engaged in the work of Vipassanā (Insight Meditation), which ceases the cause. Ven. Dr. Ashin Parami