Nirvana:
Nirvana:Enlightenment, the ultimate goal of Buddhist practice. The Sanskrit word nirvana means "blown out" and is variously translated as extinction, emancipation, cessation, quiescence, or non-rebirth. Nirvana was originally regarded as the state in which all illusions and desires as well as the cycle of birth and death are extinguished.
http://www.sgilibrary.org/search_dict.php
My Definition:
My Journal:
Nirvana is a not a metaphysical place like heaven. Nirvana is a state of awakening or enlightenment, brought about through conscious effort to realize "what is" through attention to conditions and dukkha. Thus, Nirvana is something that can be attained while on earth to reach a wholesome lifestyle. Nirvana must constantly be practiced in daily life.
Nirvana is displayed in individuals through various characteristics such as wisdom and compassion. These characteristics demonstrate wholesome habits cultivated, such as attention, letting go, loving kindness, and sympathetic joy, through understanding conditions. Individuals who understand dukkha and accept ICA, anicca, and anatta cannot help but be as they are and become enlightened.
Enlightened individuals feel the need to help others reach their level of attainment. Thus, teaching becomes one of the greatest benefits an awakened mind can give to fellow beings. This draws on characteristics such as loving kindness and sympathetic joy that allow them to empathize with other individuals and understand their trials.
http://www.sgilibrary.org/search_dict.php
My Definition:
- Feb 5, 2013:
- Mar 6, 2013:
- April 20, 2013:
My Journal:
- Feb 5, 2013:
Nirvana is a not a metaphysical place like heaven. Nirvana is a state of awakening or enlightenment, brought about through conscious effort to realize "what is" through attention to conditions and dukkha. Thus, Nirvana is something that can be attained while on earth to reach a wholesome lifestyle. Nirvana must constantly be practiced in daily life.
- Feb 19, 2013:
Nirvana is displayed in individuals through various characteristics such as wisdom and compassion. These characteristics demonstrate wholesome habits cultivated, such as attention, letting go, loving kindness, and sympathetic joy, through understanding conditions. Individuals who understand dukkha and accept ICA, anicca, and anatta cannot help but be as they are and become enlightened.
- March 3, 2013:
Enlightened individuals feel the need to help others reach their level of attainment. Thus, teaching becomes one of the greatest benefits an awakened mind can give to fellow beings. This draws on characteristics such as loving kindness and sympathetic joy that allow them to empathize with other individuals and understand their trials.
- March 15, 2013:
- March 28, 2013:
- April 14, 2013:
- April 22, 2013:
Papanca:
Papanca:
papañca: (Sanskrit prapañca): In doctrinal usage, it signifies the expansion, differentiation, 'diffuseness' or 'manifoldness' of the world; and it may also refer to the 'phenomenal world' in general, and to the mental attitude of 'worldliness'. In A. IV, 173, it is said: "As far as the field of sixfold sense-impression extends, so far reaches the world of diffuseness (or the phenomenal world; papañcassa gati); as far as the world of diffuseness extends, so far extends the field of sixfold sense-impression. Through the complete fading away and cessation of the field of sixfold sense-impression, there comes about the cessation and the coming-to-rest of the world of diffuseness (papañca-nirodho papañca-vupasamo).
Urbandharma.org
“psycho-linguistic proliferation of cognitive-conative projections onto experience; or the linguistic ‘excess’ responsible for and resulting from mistaking interpretation, for reality.”~ Glen Wallis, The Dhammapada, p 156-7
My Definition
Papanca is the process of creating a "world." This world is a "smokescreen" for sunyata, a false creation that creates dukkha in life through false expectations.
My Journal
In Western society, concepts of emptiness at the root of all conditions and existence is uncomfortable. Religions have built up concepts of heaven and hell in order to ensure a place where human souls go following death. Similarly, Western society dislikes ambiguities - we like a "good" and "bad" in which to place individual's into labels. It is for this reason that the human mind creates a papanca through stories and illusions. It is more comfortable to believe in our somewhat painful mirror of needles rather than face the abyss which is actually there. However, this "abyss" is not a black hole that takes the soul and destroys it- rather it is the complex interweaving of all conditions and moments in order to create an "individual" who is merely part of the cloth. Our intense connectivity and reliance on others frightens us - the Papanca is a barrier placed in order to form a separate world.
Today I began to realize that I have created my own papanca to press against the ideas of sunyata. A Roman Catholic, I have abided by church practices and statues- it gives me hope through practice. However, at times I rationalize "logic" so that I do not have to feel guilt for sins that I commit against the church - unfortunately this "rationalization" does not fully take care of my concerns and I experience dukkha in the attempt. I need to be more aware of the moment so that I can see through my created papanca and see the world has it really is.
The Papanca is an unwholesome habit in the minds of the Buddhist practitioner - often, if we have practiced a belief long enough it becomes a "truth" to the mind. We rely upon these "truths" even if we are not sure that they are true, merely because we know them and can identify. They are easy and we do not have to work hard for it. In order to break these habits, I need to recognize the moments when "true" reality shows through, such as at funerals or during meditating, and attempt see the moment afterward with the same clarity. If I practice this enough, I will be able to develop a skillful habit of tearing down both my papanca and others so that all individuals can achieve enlightenment.
papañca: (Sanskrit prapañca): In doctrinal usage, it signifies the expansion, differentiation, 'diffuseness' or 'manifoldness' of the world; and it may also refer to the 'phenomenal world' in general, and to the mental attitude of 'worldliness'. In A. IV, 173, it is said: "As far as the field of sixfold sense-impression extends, so far reaches the world of diffuseness (or the phenomenal world; papañcassa gati); as far as the world of diffuseness extends, so far extends the field of sixfold sense-impression. Through the complete fading away and cessation of the field of sixfold sense-impression, there comes about the cessation and the coming-to-rest of the world of diffuseness (papañca-nirodho papañca-vupasamo).
Urbandharma.org
“psycho-linguistic proliferation of cognitive-conative projections onto experience; or the linguistic ‘excess’ responsible for and resulting from mistaking interpretation, for reality.”~ Glen Wallis, The Dhammapada, p 156-7
My Definition
- March 19, 2013:
Papanca is the process of creating a "world." This world is a "smokescreen" for sunyata, a false creation that creates dukkha in life through false expectations.
My Journal
- March 21, 2013:
In Western society, concepts of emptiness at the root of all conditions and existence is uncomfortable. Religions have built up concepts of heaven and hell in order to ensure a place where human souls go following death. Similarly, Western society dislikes ambiguities - we like a "good" and "bad" in which to place individual's into labels. It is for this reason that the human mind creates a papanca through stories and illusions. It is more comfortable to believe in our somewhat painful mirror of needles rather than face the abyss which is actually there. However, this "abyss" is not a black hole that takes the soul and destroys it- rather it is the complex interweaving of all conditions and moments in order to create an "individual" who is merely part of the cloth. Our intense connectivity and reliance on others frightens us - the Papanca is a barrier placed in order to form a separate world.
- April 14, 2013:
Today I began to realize that I have created my own papanca to press against the ideas of sunyata. A Roman Catholic, I have abided by church practices and statues- it gives me hope through practice. However, at times I rationalize "logic" so that I do not have to feel guilt for sins that I commit against the church - unfortunately this "rationalization" does not fully take care of my concerns and I experience dukkha in the attempt. I need to be more aware of the moment so that I can see through my created papanca and see the world has it really is.
- April 30, 2013:
The Papanca is an unwholesome habit in the minds of the Buddhist practitioner - often, if we have practiced a belief long enough it becomes a "truth" to the mind. We rely upon these "truths" even if we are not sure that they are true, merely because we know them and can identify. They are easy and we do not have to work hard for it. In order to break these habits, I need to recognize the moments when "true" reality shows through, such as at funerals or during meditating, and attempt see the moment afterward with the same clarity. If I practice this enough, I will be able to develop a skillful habit of tearing down both my papanca and others so that all individuals can achieve enlightenment.