I’ve read the “Conditionality in daily life” book. Good book, I liked it!
Some questions:
Why does akusala in some cases leads to akusala, and in some other cases lead to kusala?
How can kusala be object of predominance condition for kusala or akusala?
It is like saying that “a” can cause “b” or “not-b”.
Are there some other conditions intervening between two events leading to different outcomes?
I wonder if some of paccaya are correctly translated as “cause” in a strict western sense of the term. Maybe alternative translation could be “reason for…” ?
Any ideas?
Some quotes below.
“Kusala such as dana or sıla can be object predominance-condition for kusala citta”
and
“Kusala can condition attachment or wrong view by way of object predominance- condition, and it can also condition attachment and wrong view by way of decisive support-condition of object. It is then a powerful inducement for the arising of attachment and wrong view.” -page 49book /53 pdf
and kusala can be conditioned by akusala.
Akusala can also be a natural decisive support-condition for kusala." pg 58 / 62pdf
Glad to hear that! The Patthana is truly wonderful and deep. It makes me very happy when I hear anyone appreciating it.
p.s You mean The Conditionality of Life by Nina van Gorkom, I think.
It happens all the time. Here are some simple examples. For akusala leading to more akusala: We might feel annoyed with something and if dwelt on it may keep increasing and even turn into strong resentment and so on. Or one has wrong view, yet thinks “this is right”. Then cogitates on it and looks for anything to support this wrong view. And thus wrong view becomes deeply embedded.
For akusala leading to kusala
Or we feel annoyed and then reflect on Dhamma - “what I am annoyed about, the elements that were there at the time of the action done have all passed - what or who Is there to be annoyed with” and so on… So in that way the initial dosa (akusula) becomes a condition for developing understanding.
Or conditioned phenomena such as dosa can be an object for satipatthana…
For the other way - kusala conditioning akusala . For exampe, someone studies Abhidhamma and gains some understanding - and because of that conceit develops: “I understand, they do not”. Or we make a gift or show kindness and then feel “i am a good person”, more conceit.
Or we give something- kusala- but then regret the gift (I should have saved the money) and feel aversion.
p.s You mean The Conditionality of Life by Nina van Gorkom, I think.
Yes.
Thank you for writing some examples of conditionality below>
For akusala leading to kusala
Or we feel annoyed and then reflect on Dhamma - “what I am annoyed about, the elements that were there at the time of the action done have all passed - what or who Is there to be annoyed with”
Some people experience akusala and then only react with more akusala. Some people experience the same akusala and wisely reflect as you have written.
What distinguishes between reaction toward the same event. Sounds like a moment of almost “free choice”.
Perhaps the paramis + previously accumulated wisdom + influence of current kind of bhavanga (triple or double rooted, with or without accompanying somanassa ) help to sway toward one direction or the other…
Yes so many conditions come together: they “coincide”, but not by “coincidence” .
The one who has studied much Dhamma (and all of those moments of study are conditioned in manifold ways), will react in a different way to the one who has never heard Dhamma. And as you say previously accumulated wisdom and parami play their role.
Also the roots (hetu-paccaya) of dosa, lobha and moha are performing their sinister, yet natural functions. So even we have heard much Dhamma there is still enormous attachment to sense objects, or the tendency to take what is concept as real is still present in varying degrees. And so we react badly maybe at times. But there is no self doing this- it is just the natural expression of conditions.
It is like a great mass of tangled string yet the Buddha could untange this tangle and see exactly the workings and interconnections.
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