Dear Nina van Gorkom
Thank you for your kind reply, I would very much like to follow up on your
answer is there a book you could recommend please.
Most grateful,
Robert Arber

-----Original Message-----
From: Pali@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Pali@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Nina
van Gorkom
Sent: July-16-13 6:10 AM
To: pali@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Pali] Re: Vimaanavatthu

Dear Robert Arber,
Thanks for your good question.
Op 15 jul 2013, om 05:49 heeft a6a44357 het volgende geschreven:

>
> " In reality there are no persons, no deities, only citta, cetasika and

ruupa. " What does this mean please?
---------
N: We believe that Robert sees, Nina sees, but in reality seeing is one
moment of consciousness, citta, that sees. It sees for an extremely short
moment and is then gone completely. It is the same with hearing, thinking,
any moment of experience. They are all elements, arising because of
conditions. They arise for a very short moment and are then gone. It seems
that seeing lasts, but in reality it is succeeded by other moments of citta,
such as thinking about what is seen. They are all different moments and none
of them lasts.
This is not theory. We shall have more understanding of what citta is if we
are aware of seeing at this very moment. It arises because of visible object
or colour and eyesense. It just sees visible object, it does not see a
person or thing. There is no one there only different cittas, accompanied by
different cetasikas, mental factors. Visible object and eyesense are ruupa,
physical phenomena and these do not know anything. In fact our life is
naama, realities which experience something, and ruupas which do not
experience anything. Just elements arising because of conditions.
Seeing is one citta and when it arises there cannot be hearing at the same
time. Seeing experiences visible object. Hearing is another citta that
experiences sound. It may seem that we can see and hear at the same time,
but this is a delusion. Each citta can experience only one object at a time,
and it falls away immediately. After it has fallen away we think of what has
been seen and heard, and then we live in the world of concepts.
When realities are taken as a mass, a collection, there is the world of
many people. Cittas arise and fall away in succession very rapidly, they are
like a flash. That is why we have a concept or idea of what appears as
something permanent. We have to be brave in order to understand that what
appears is just a reality. We need courage to let go of wrong view that
clings to the idea of person or "self". Right understanding leads to
detachment, but our nature is attachment.
----------
Nina.




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