Concepts and Reality Part 2 - Frame of Reference
Here I will discuss how the Frame of
Reference discussed in Post # 4, is used by us to relate to the world we live
in.
It would now be clear that we have each
our own frames-of reference and we use them to relate to the world we live in.
It is the same way that another person uses his/her own, to relate to the world
he/she lives in. This brings us to the point where we have to ask………what is this
‘world’ that we live in?
But before that it might be useful to
highlight some noteworthy matters in respect of our frame-of-reference just
described. In this large collection of life experiences there are accumulations
which are referred to as defilements in Buddha-Dhamma. Defilements are
accumulations in our mind which in effect become impediments to our reaching
the awakening or liberation from Samsara. They are shackles or fetters that tie
us down to this eternal cycle of birth-death-rebirth. From among these
defilements that we have acquired in our life, there is a grouping that
particularly inhibits our clarity of vision. These get in the way and cloud our
clear thinking. They make us see things as they want us to see them, rather
than see them as they really are.
Some of these defilements are : ego; self
esteem; pride; prejudice; various complexes; conceit; certain convictions,
cultural and other beliefs and similar traits that we habour in our minds. It
is easy to see these in people by the way they behave. We therefore have to
understand them and make allowances for why they are behaving so. They cannot
help such behavior as they are prompted by these defilements stored in their
frames- of- reference, to act in the way they do. When we can see these in
others we are sharp and knowledgeable about this subtle aspect. However when we
begin to see these traits in our own selves we become smart and wisdom starts
to arise. When we see things this way we can come to terms with life more
easily. We can be more accommodating at our homes and outside, when dealing
with others so that life becomes more tolerable.
Now coming back to ‘this world we live in’
referred to before, it is clear that this is where what we experience in life
happens. Our emotions, needs, our plans, happiness, sorrow etc, are all
contained in the world we live in. There is normally a tendency to see the
world we live in, as only the physical world around us. However Buddha-Dhamma
teaches us to have a more holistic view about the world we live in. According
to Buddha-Dhamma we should see the world we live in- through us! That
means we have to see the world we live in, as the physical world around us as
one part, the things that happen in this world as the next part and how we
relate to the physical world and what happens thereon, as the third part.
Buddha with his enlightened mind saw that
this cosmos has both infinite phenomena and finite phenomena. Infinite
phenomena are symbolized primarily by Nibbana (the state of ceasing of the eternal
process of re-becoming) which is a supra-mundane realization. However in the
mundane or conventional domain of experience, aspects such as space,
time, Samsara (the eternal cycle of re-becoming), and other
fundamental units of matter and mind as described in the teachings of the
Buddha also are included in the grouping of infinite phenomena. These latter
phenomena are referred in the Pali language as, Patavi (fundamental
actions manifesting in characteristics of hardness/softness, heaviness/lightness etc. in
formations), Arpo~(….those that manifest as flow or paste), Thejo~
(…heat or cold), Vayo~(….expand or contract) and Vinnanna (
a phenomenon that manifests as a feature of mind). They are referred to as
infinite because such assessments as- the limits of space or beginning of time
etc., are infinite in nature and incomprehensible to the human mind. So are all
the others. They are grouped as phenomena, as by themselves they are different
in nature to each other and as a group is infinite. The term used in Buddha-Dhamma is Achinthana - not within the grasp of human
sense faculties and incomprehensible to the human mind
The other group is the finite phenomena.
These are the conditioned formations manifesting from infinite phenomena. Under
given conditions they arise and when conditions change they change and when the
conditions cease they cease. The physical world is finite phenomena and
thus a conditioned formation having a beginning, subject to change and an end.
It is comprehensible to the human sense faculties and mind.
As taught in Buddha-Dhamma, what is
relevant in this description of the physical world for our purpose is that as a
conditioned formation, the physical world is subject to change as conditions
change. The multitude of aggregations forming the physical world does change
according to the abiding laws of nature. They are subject to the process of
arise-stay-cease or birth- grow-death as the case may be. This physical world
consists of animate and inanimate formations. Therefore when we look at
the physical world we have to come to terms with this changing nature and not
feel stressed and anxious about these inherent characteristics.
Buddha also taught us that everything that
happens in this world is governed by five fundamental laws. They are the Dhamma
Niyama (laws of nature), Etthu Niyama (laws of the
seasons), Beeja Niyama (laws of genetics), Kamma
Niyama (law of cause and effect) and Chittha Niyama (caused
by a mind at work). We have seen these in action for so long and the consequences
are quite familiar to us.
The physical world and what’s happening in
the world are common to all living beings. However when we use our frame- of-
reference to relate to the physical world and things that are happening in this
world, we go and create a separate world of our own. This means that we
have created this world that we live in. So has everybody else a created world
of their own.
The in-congruence is that within this world
which we live, there has to be a separate world for each one of us. This
suggests that the worlds we have created are conceptual and separate from the
real world. Therefore our frame-of-reference which was the basis for this in-congruence, has to be conceptual and not real. Therefore the contents in the
frame-of-reference have to be also concepts and therefore not real.
All the conflicts and confrontations in
the outside world and in our homes happen when these worlds collide. It
is therefore not the people or the subject in question that collides but it is
the concepts (frames-of reference) that collide. This is why there has to be
more accommodation and understanding in our homes and in the outside world
where there are conflicts and confrontations, and learn to deal with them
better.
I will be discussing more elaborate aspects related to the world we live in based on a 'mind created world' as described in Abidhamma text in a future Post.
Concepts therefore for our purpose are thus explained.
-…end of part 2….
See part 3 for
‘Reality’ in the next Post.
No comments:
Post a Comment