nissarana (s. paha^na).
the 4: ogha, are identical with the 4 cankers (a^sava, q.v.).
dweller, the ascetic practice for the: s. dhutanga.
cf. peta, yakkha; s. loka.
s. indriya (21).
of existence, s. khandha; corporeal groups, s. rúpa-kala^pa; corporeality-group, s. rúpa-ka^ya; mind-group, s. na^ma-ka^ya.
The 3: ti-ratana (q.v.).
(perhaps related to Sanskrit krtsna, ”all, complete, whole”), is the name for a purely external device to produce and develop concentration of mind and attain the 4 absorptions (jha^na q.v.). It consists in concentrating one”s full and undivided attention on one visible object as preparatory image (parikamma-nimitta), e.g. a colored spot or disc, or a piece of earth, or a pond at some distance, etc., until at last one perceives, even with the eyes closed, a mental reflex, the acquired image (uggaha-nimitta). Now, while continuing to direct one”s attention to this image, there may arise the spotless and immovable counter-image (patibha^ga-nimitta), and together with it the neighbourhood-concentration (upaca^ra-sama^dhi) will have been reached. While still persevering in the concentration on the object, one finally will reach a state of mind where all sense-activity is suspended, where there is no more seeing and hearing, no more perception of bodily impression and feeling, i.e. the state of the 1st mental absorption (jha^na, q.v.).
The 10 kasinas mentioned in the Suttas are: earth-kasina, water, fire, wind, blue, yellow, red, white, space, and consciousness."There are 10 kasina-spheres: someone sees the earth kasina, above, below, on all sides, undivided, unbounded .... someone see the water-kasina, above, below, etc." (M. 77; D. 33) Cf. abhibha^yatan, bha^vana^; further s. Fund. IV.
For space and consciousness-kasina we find in Vis.M. V the names limited space-kasina (paricchinna^ka^sa-kasina;... s. App. ) and light-kasina (a^loka-kasina).
For full description see Vis.M. IV-V; also Atthasa^lini Tr. I, 248.
”defilements”, are mind-defiling, unwholesome qualities. Vis.M. XXII, 49, 65: "There are 10 defilements, thus called because they are themselves defiled, and because they defile the mental factors associated with them. They are: (1) greed (lobha), (2) hate (dosa), (3) delusion (moha), (4) conceit (ma^na), (5) speculative views (ditthi), (6) skeptical doubt (vicikiccha^), (7) mental torpor (thi^na), (8) restlessness (uddhacca); (9) shamelessness (ahirika), (10) lack of moral dread or unconscientiousness (anottappa)." For 1-3, s. múla; 4, s. ma^na; 5, s. ditthi; 6-8, s. ni^varana; 9 and 10, s. ahirika-anottappa.
The ten are explained in Dhs. 1229f and enumerated in Vibh. XII. No classification of the k. is found in the Suttas, though the term occurs quite often in them. For the related term, upakkilesa (q.v.;”impurities”) different lists are given - (App.).
the 10 kilesa are probably for the first time enumerated and explained in Dhs. (§§ 1229-1239). There they are, however, called kilesa-vatthu, which name (dasa kilesa-vatthu) is already mentioned in Pts I, 130, though there they are neither enumerated nor explained.
”karmically wholesome” or ”profitable”, salutary, morally good, (skillful) Connotations of the term, according to Com. (Atthasa^lini), are: of good health, blameless, productive of favourable karma-result, skillful. It should be noted that Com. excludes the meaning ”skillful”, when the term is applied to states of consciousness.
It is defined in M. 9 as the 10 wholesome courses of action (s. kammapatha). In psychological terms, ”karmically wholesome” are all those karmical volitions (kamma-cetana^) and the consciousness and mental factors associated therewith, which are accompanied by 2 or 3 wholesome roots (s. múla), i.e. by greedlessness (alobha) and hatelessness (adosa), and in some cases also by non-delusion (amoha: wisdom, understanding). Such states of consciousness are regarded as ”karmically wholesome” as they are causes of favourable karma results and contain the seeds of a happy destiny or rebirth. From this explanation, two facts should be noted: (1) it is volition that makes a state of consciousness, or an act, ”good” or ”bad”; (2) the moral criterion in Buddhism is the presence or absence of the 3 wholesome or moral roots (s. múla).
The above explanations refer to mundane (lokiya, q.v.) wholesome consciousness. Supermundane wholesome (lokuttara-kusala) states, i.e. the four paths of sanctity (s. ariyapuggala), have as results only the corresponding four fruitions; they do not constitute karma, nor do they lead to rebirth, and this applies also to the good actions of an Arahat (Tab. I, 73-80) and his meditative states (Tab. 1, 81-89), which are all karmically inoperative (functional; s. kiriya).
Kusala belongs to a threefold division of all consciousness, as found in the Abhidhamma (Dhs.), into wholesome (kusala), unwholesome (akusala) and karmically neutral (avya^kata), which is the first of the triads (tika) in the Abhidhamma schedule (ma^tika^); s. Guide, pp. 4ff., 12ff; Vis.M. XIV, 83ff.
contemplation of: dukkha^nupassana^; s. ti-lakkhana.
(fr. phusati, to touch): ”sense-impression”, contact. The term samphassa is used in compounds, e.g. in the following: ”"T”here are 6 classes of sense-impression: visual impression (cakkhu-samphassa), impressions of hearing, smelling, tasting, bodily (tactile) impression and mental impression" (M. 9). A twofold division occurs in D. 15: patigha (q.v.) -samphassa, impression by sensorial reaction”, and adhivacana-samphassa, verbal (or conceptual, i.e. mental) impression”.
Phassa does not signify physical impact, but is one of the 7 constant mental concomitants of consciousness (cetasika) and belongs to the group of mental formations (sankha^ra-kkhandha). In lists of both these categories it is generally mentioned first (e.g. Dhs. 1: M. 9), due to its fundamental position in the cognitive process In M. 18 it is thus defined: "Dependent on the eye and the forms, eye-consciousness arises; the coming-together of the three is sense-impression" (similarly stated in the case of the other 5 senses, including mind). In the dependent origination, it is conditioned by the six sense-bases and is a conditioning factor of feeling (s. paticca-samuppa^da 5, 6). Its relation to mind-and-body (na^ma-rúpa) is described in D. 15, and its influence on feeling and wrong views, in D. 1 (at the end). - It is one of the 4 nutriments (a^ha^ra, q.v.), and the first factor in the pentad of sense-impression (phassa-pan~camaka), together with feeling, perception, volition and consciousness (see Abh. St., p. 47ff ).
Being a key function in the mind”s contact with the world of objects and being a potential source of defilements, sense-impression is an important subject for reflective insight contemplation as succinctly formulated in many verses of the Sn.: 736/7, 778, 851, 870/72, 923.
of existence, the 3: s. avacara.
the 5 spiritual: s. bala. - For the 6 higher p., s. abhin~n~na. For the 10 p. of a Buddha, s. dasabala. - For the 4 roads to p., s. iddhipa^da. For magical p., s. iddhi.
ditthi, -sankappa, -vaca, etc: see magga.
(lit.: congregation), is the name for the Community of Buddhist monks. As the third of the Three Gems or Jewels (ti-ratana, q.v.) and the Three Refuges (ti-sarana, q.v.), i.e. Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, it applies to the ariya-sangha, the community of the saints, i.e. the 4 Noble Ones (ariya-pugga, q.v.), the Stream-winner, etc.
Sanjna == 想
see Recognition or Five Skandhas.