rockyysdt

We are taught that freedom from Dhuka comes with the elimination of Greed, Aversion & Delusion.

I'm aware of  obvious examples of greed and aversion in my life but it's becoming more apparent that delusion affects our ability to discern greed and aversion.

I can see many examples of delusion in others.
This allows them to justify their greed and aversion on a daily basis.

On the other hand my own delusion is not so easy to see.

Deep seated conditioning allows me to believe many  of my actions are pure, but when viewed by another, are clearly unacceptable.

Many of these may be in direct conflict with precepts, while others can be subtle and indirect.

I subscribe to regular exercise of one kind or another.
Each of us will have their own personal exercise routine which suits the individual.

An Ajahn taught me that standing upright and swinging one arm forward until above the head, whilst swinging the other backwards and then alternating,100 to 200 times, is an excellent exercise and also suitable for Monks.

My view is that respecting my body includes keeping it at its optimal condition.
This aids my ability to practice concentration and awareness, and wards off discretionary illnesses.

My discretionary poompui friend says that it is a waste of time, saying:

"What is the value of doing something which prolongs life if I get hit by a bus tomorrow?

I couldn't believe this answer and realized I was observing a form of delusion.
The same reasoning would also allow cigarette smoking.

How do we discern our delusion?

As has been often said, experiences such as Äwakening" are beyond description and can only be understood through experience.

This is why such experiences and concepts are are described as what they are not rather than what they are.

The following description of Nirvana is no exception.

If lust anger and delusion are given up, man aims neither at his own ruin, nor at others ruin, nor at the ruin of both parties, and he experiences no mental pain or grief. This is Nirvana immediate, visible in this life, inviting, attractive, and comprehensible to the wise.

There is a realm, where there is neither the solid, nor the fluid, neither heat, nor motion, neither this world nor any other world, neither sun, nor moon.

This I call neither arising, nor passing away, neither standing still nor being born, nor dying, There is neither foothold, nor development, nor any basis. This is the end of suffering.

There is the unoriginated, uncreated, unformed. If there were not this unborn, this unoriginated, this uncreated, this unformed, escape from the world of the born, the originated, the created, the formed, would not be possible.


but since there is an unborn, unoriginated, uncreated, unformed, therefore escape is possIble from the world of the born, the orIginated, the created, and the formed.

I recall a Thai woman stuffing a sealed envelope with 1,000 baht of notes and placing it in the Monks alms bowl for an exorcism request.

It appeared quite clearly to me as a "fee for service" arrangement, without any kind of audit or record keeping in place.

Is this practice acceptable?

Does wrapping the money in an envelope make it acceptable?

Can the Monk use this money for his own purposes?

On my next trip to Thailand I'm considering Krabi for a relaxing beach holiday.

Air Asia Bangkok to Phuket return on their promo fares is almost half the cost in comparison to Bangkok to Krabi return on promo.

Is it worth traveling to Krabi via ferry from Phuket?

Is this part of the journey scenic and an experience, or am I better off flying directly to Krabi and spend more time relaxing?

Any thoughts are welcomed.

Also, as Krabi covers a large area.

Which  specific place should l consider staying at which would also include close access to beaches, markets, nightlife, and tourist connections?

I listened to a lecture recently on the subject "No Self" and can only concur that re birth can't possibly involve future lives.

Non Self.
Nothing solid, fixed or inherent that lasts.
We are a series of processes.
There is no separate entity from this flow of experience.
Who we are today is different from who we were 20 years ago.
Nothing can be pointed to that we can say this is "me".
Due to its nature the ego thinks that it always will be.
Our sense of self traditionally helps us to look after our carcass (body).

Charlotte Jocobeck:
A life of no self is centered on no particular thing, but on all things (unattached), so the characteristics of a self cannot appear.
To be no self is to be joy, because it opposes nothing.
No self is beneficial to everything.

Suzuki Roshi:
What we call "I" is just a swinging door which moves when we inhale and exhale.

There is no soul which is separate, solid,  and unique which  goes on.
No essential substance.
There is no permanent essence or sub strata (although some traditions cling to this).
The five skandas (aggregates) is the raw material from which we create a sense of self.
There is no soul, or atman  or metaphysical self which can be found.
Clinging to any doctrines of self leads to dukkha (suffering).

Buddhagosa:
There is suffering, but none who suffers.
There is doing, although there is no doer.
Liberation exists, but no liberated person.
Although there is a path, there is no goer.

In Theravada Buddhism there is an idea that we, and any aspect of ourselves is empty of an enduring, stable, autonomous self or soul.


Deva to the Buddhas:
I've been walking forever and cannot find the end of the world.
I've been walking hither and tither to find the end of the world and still cannot find it.
The end of the world of Dukkha and suffering.

The Buddha replied:
You will not find the end of Dukkha by traveling.
Only by being in this fathom long carcass (body).
The origin of the world and the end of the world is to be found in this fathom long carcass. No where else.
This fathom long carcass, endowed with its eyes, its ears, its nose and everything else, is where it is to be found.

From all this can we say, that after our body dies there is Nirvana/Nibbana but no experiencer?

Can we also say that Nirvana/Nibbana is for the living (freedom from dukkha, awakened, without attachment, no self, no ego), but once the body dies the world ends, there is nothing?