The Truth of Buddha’s Enlightenment: The Universe Shook When He Revealed It Welcome back to the Ego podcast. In our previous episode, we delved deep into "The Buddha's Enlightenment: What Did He Realize? " We discovered a very important conclusion: The object of reality is Feeling (Vedana).
To understand this better, we explored the concept of reality, a vast category that includes everything present in the moment. Reality is perceived through human senses, such as sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and consciousness. This leads to the classification of reality objects into six categories: form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental objects.
Human perception of reality is often linked to the material world through the six senses: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. However, if we observe correctly and deeply, we will see that reality is not the fixed and inherent material world we often understand. Reality only arises when there is an interaction between the six senses and the six objects according to the principle of Dependent Origination.
For example, when the eye and a form object interact, we not only see the image but also generate a feeling about that image. Similarly, when the ear and a sound object interact, it creates a feeling of sound; nose and smell object, feeling of smell; tongue and taste object, feeling of taste; body and touch object, feeling of touch; and consciousness with mental objects, feeling of mental objects. The Buddha realized that reality is Feeling, not the material world.
The objects of reality are six types of feelings: image, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental objects. Today, we will continue this journey by exploring the workings of the mind, a crucial part of the Buddha's enlightenment. We will discover that the knowing mind is the Buddha's enlightenment.
The knowing mind is divided into two types: Direct knowing mind and Indirect knowing mind. We will delve deeper into this division and its role in perceiving reality. Let’s embark on the next part of the journey to explore the mind and the Buddha’s enlightenment.
Chú ý: (Link + hình ảnh Video Youtube) What Did the Buddha Enlighten About? - YouTube Chapter 1: What is the Mind? In the Buddha's enlightenment journey, two key aspects need exploration: What did he realize, and how did he achieve it?
To deeply understand these, we must grasp two core concepts in Buddhist philosophy: direct knowing through the senses and indirect knowing through consciousness. Direct knowing through the senses: Psychology calls this sensory perception of objects. In Buddhism, it is classified into a group called the aggregate of perception (Sanna Skandha).
These are eye consciousness, ear consciousness, nose consciousness, tongue consciousness, body consciousness, and mental consciousness. It arises due to the interaction between the six senses and six objects, making it impermanent, ownerless, and non-self (anatta). These direct knowings are the same for both the enlightened and the ordinary, for all animals, regardless of individual knowledge, understanding, or experience.
They do not contain concepts, words, or discrimination (non-conceptual, non-verbal, non-discriminative). Each direct knowing only acknowledges or recognizes one single object as it is without adding or subtracting knowledge or concepts, making it true knowing of the object at the sensory level. Many religions misunderstand this direct knowing as the soul, as the seeing, hearing, and knowing nature that is neither born nor dies within each person.
Psychology calls this cognitive perception of objects. In Buddhism, it is classified into the aggregate of consciousness (Vijnana Skandha), responsible for understanding and confirming the objects that direct knowing sees, hears, and feels. The knowing consciousness arises through a process: Contact - [Feeling - Perception] - Memory - Thinking - [Thought - Consciousness].
Here, contact is the interaction between sense and object, simultaneously generating [Feeling - Perception], which is sensation and direct knowing. This information [Feeling - Perception] is transmitted into the "information storage" (memory) in brain neurons, where it stores encoded knowledge, understanding, and experience accumulated in the past. The interaction between the information [Feeling - Perception] being led into and the information in the storage generates memory.
Memory is the act of searching for information that "matches" the information [Feeling - Perception] being led in. Next, the interaction between the led-in information [Feeling - Perception] and the information found by memory generates the act of thinking. This is the act of analyzing, comparing, synthesizing, judging between the two pieces of information, and such thinking generates a conclusion.
That conclusion is thought (thinking with information of perception) and the act of thinking not only generates thought but also simultaneously generates knowing consciousness, which knows the newly arisen thought. Thus, knowing consciousness arises due to memory and thinking. Essentially, it is the interaction between information in the storage, in the memory, making it indirect knowing.
For example, when the eye contacts a rose, generating the sensation of image and eye consciousness. Eye consciousness sees the object but does not know what the object is. Imagine a newborn baby, it only sees but does not know what it is.
Next, memory arises, searching in the storage for images matching the seen image. If it has seen and known a rose before, memory will find that information (previously stored in the past). Next, thinking arises, analyzing, comparing, and concluding that it is a rose, and simultaneously, consciousness arises, knowing it is a rose.
The content that knowing consciousness knows is thought, is information, so it contains concepts, words, and discrimination. Thus, each species, each individual will have different knowing consciousness. Knowing consciousness arises due to memory, due to thinking using the information in the storage but those are the information stored by direct knowing, information about feeling, not information about the material world.
When thinking, it must form concepts and name those concepts to distinguish one object from another, so thinking can occur. The formation and naming of concepts occur concerning information about feeling, not information about the material world. Therefore, concepts like large-small, square-round, long-short, salty-sweet, sour-spicy, hard-soft, rough-smooth, hot-cold, man-woman, houses, vehicles, moon, sun, space, time.
. . are all concepts of consciousness about feeling, belonging to the category of mind, not concepts of the material world.
But humanity from time immemorial has not known the truth that Mind knows Mind (reality belonging to the category of mind) but has mistakenly believed that Mind knows Objects (reality is objects), so they imposed concepts belonging to consciousness onto the material world. Concepts of space and time form in the thinking process involving analysis, comparison, synthesis, judgment, abstraction, and generalization of different visual sensations. The concept of space forms when comparing the visual sensation of space with other visual sensations like trees, houses, and generating the thought that space encompasses all objects.
The concept of space, therefore, is a concept of consciousness, a concept about feeling, formed by thinking with information about feeling but imposed on the material world as a fundamental attribute. The concept of time also forms when thinking compares the visual sensation of motion and the visual sensation of stillness, also a concept of consciousness, a concept about feeling but also imposed on the material world as a fundamental attribute. Therefore, in classical physics, space and time are considered attributes of matter, absolute, but Einstein discovered phenomena concluding that space and time are relative, not absolute like classical mechanics.
This means space-time is "elastic". However, Einstein still considered space-time as attributes of matter, and the theory of relativity is the foundation for the hypothesis that the universe appeared due to the Big Bang. Accordingly, the origin of the universe is a mysterious black hole.
All models of the material world or worldviews that have appeared in human history, from the concept of a round sky and square earth, the nine mountains and eight seas, the realms of desire, form, formlessness, the triple thousand worlds, to the mechanical worldview, the universe appearing according to the Big Bang theory. . .
are products of consciousness. The content is information about feeling, arising in the information storage. They are purely worldviews generated by memory and thinking, a world imagined based on information about feeling, not on information about the material world, so it is not the material world as it truly is.
Humans live with feelings. This means seeing, hearing, feeling the object, then understanding the object. Then, due to understanding the object, an attitude of liking or disliking the object arises, wanting to hold onto or drive away the object, leading to speech and actions toward the object and finally suffering or happiness with the object.
Although humans live with these objects that are feelings, they do not know this truth correctly and mistakenly understand these objects as the material world. Similarly, the crisis of modern physics is due to the knowing consciousness of humanity misinterpreting reality. Objects seen, heard, and felt of reality are feelings belonging to the category of mind, but consciousness mistakenly understands them as the material world.
Five examples of this misunderstanding Astronomy: When we see the sun, we are actually seeing its image from about 8 minutes ago, as light takes time to travel from the sun to Earth. The misunderstanding occurs when we think we are seeing the "current" sun, but we are actually seeing its past. Color Debate: A typical example is the online debate over the color of a dress (gold-white or blue-black).
Each person sees different colors due to light and how the brain processes images. This difference shows that the color we see is not a fixed attribute of the object but the result of indirect knowing through brain analysis. Quantum Physics: In quantum physics, scientists find that experimental results can change based on human observation.
The misunderstanding here is thinking the properties of physical particles change, while in reality, human perception and observation affect the results due to the interaction of knowing mind with reality. Fire Circle Illusion: When spinning a stick with a burning end quickly, we may see a continuous fire circle although it is just a moving point of fire. This illusion shows how eyes and the brain process information, indicating that the images we see do not always accurately reflect the material reality.
Spinning Fan: When looking at a fast-spinning electric fan, we cannot distinguish the gaps between the blades, feeling as if the fan is a solid disc. The reality is that gaps still exist, but the speed of spinning and how our eyes record images give us the impression of no gaps. These examples clearly illustrate how direct knowing and indirect knowing affect our perception of reality, and the difference between sensation and the true nature of objects in the material world.
Chapter 2: Can Humans Understand the Material World? Direct knowing includes eye consciousness, ear consciousness, nose consciousness, tongue consciousness, body consciousness, and mental consciousness, recognizing only feelings, not the material world. But indirect knowing, through logical reasoning from information recorded by direct knowing, can know the material world.
For example, when eye consciousness sees branches swaying in one direction, indirect knowing through logical reasoning knows there is wind blowing. Indirect knowing understands there is wind blowing through logical reasoning but cannot recognize the shape, color, smell, taste, weight, or hardness of the wind. Knowing there are electromagnetic waves is knowing indirectly through multiple steps of reasoning.
Since this type of matter does not interact with the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body but interacts with other forms like TV, phone, then the intermediary object interacts with the eyes and ears. Through eye consciousness seeing images on the screen, ear consciousness hearing sounds through the phone, consciousness affirms the existence of electromagnetic waves but cannot know the shape, color, smell, taste, hardness, weight of electromagnetic waves. Through direct knowing recognizing visual sensations, sound sensations, smell sensations, taste sensations, touch sensations, indirect knowing through logical reasoning affirms the material world with five objects: form, sound, smell, taste, touch.
But cannot know the shape, color, smell, taste, hardness, weight, temperature, etc. , of the material world. Observing with direct knowing and logical reasoning, indirect knowing through consciousness can correctly understand the law of cause and effect or the principle of Dependent Origination: All physical and mental phenomena arise according to the rule: "Two causes interact, then both cease, and new results arise.
" Through the images seen by eye consciousness, indirect knowing through logical reasoning knows: - A packet of red dye contacting a basin of clear water, both cease and produce a basin of red dye; - Oxygen and Hydrogen contacting, both cease and produce Water and heat. And the process of cause and effect continues endlessly according to the principle of Dependent Origination (law of cause and effect). The sequences of cause-effect processes differ depending on numerous causes and how these causes interact, following the rule: Two causes interact (Contact) with each other, cease together, and produce new results.
Observing reality by direct knowing and logical reasoning, indirect knowing through consciousness will correctly understand the principle of Dependent Origination (also known as the law of cause and effect). Thus, there will be correct understanding that all mental and physical phenomena, that is, Name and Form, are arising and ceasing, so they are impermanent, meaning not eternal, not permanent anywhere. The relationship between phenomena is just interaction, then ceasing together according to the rule of cause ceasing and effect arising, so there is no owner, no possessor relationship, no dependency on each other, so phenomena have the nature of non-self, non-possessor.
This means there is no self, no ego, or any entity that is the owner or possessor of phenomena, meaning phenomena are non-self. All Name and Form phenomena are arising and ceasing, impermanent, non-owner, non-possessor (non-self). The important thing is to see and know as it is that the interaction of two causes produces results, never one cause (or main cause) transforming into results as misunderstood by humanity and science.
Interaction or Contact has clarified that two causes must interact, must contact each other, one cause cannot interact, cannot contact. Interaction between two causes can be physical interaction, chemical interaction, biological interaction. Observing and thinking about the interaction between two objects will lead to correct results because at that time, it is not dependent on viewpoints.
For example, before Galileo discovered that the Earth revolves around the Sun, people believed the Sun revolved around the Earth. Although this viewpoint was wrong, from ancient times, people had found rules to accurately determine the times of solar and lunar eclipses. Why is that?
Because they only observed and thought about the interaction between the Sun and the Earth, the Sun and the Moon, the Moon and the Earth. At that time, they did not use the viewpoint of which revolves around which. Because of the mistaken belief that one cause produces results, the cause in the result, the result in the cause, physics assigned matter with mass and energy.
They weigh the object and through the gravitational force formula, determine the object has a mass of 1kg, and the mass of 1kg is an attribute of the object, inherently, always has, eternal, permanent in the object. But if they take the object and the scale to a spaceship with such calculations and reasoning, the object's mass is 0 (kg). Or on the moon, it will be 0.
6 (kg) for example. . .
Thus, mass is not absolute but also relative. It is also elastic like space and time? Not so, the concept of mass derived from gravitational force is an expression of the interaction result between two objects, not an attribute of the object.
Observing and reasoning about the interaction between two objects, scientists found the formula for gravitational force. It clearly shows two objects participating in the formula, indicating interaction. Therefore, the correct result is due to observing and reasoning about the interaction of two objects, but the viewpoint using that result is wrong.
Similarly, energy is not an attribute of matter, not inherently, not always has, not eternal, not permanent in matter, it is the result arising when there is interaction between two objects (fire is not inherent in the branch but arises when two branches rub against each other). Therefore, science cannot find the basic subtle part of matter called life hidden somewhere in living cells because life, health are due to interaction. It is not eternal, not permanent anywhere.
It arises and ceases quickly. Imagine it as consecutive "pulses" forming a sequence but intermittent, not continuous, like physics discovered that thermal radiation is intermittent, not continuous, leading to quantum physics. All other phenomena are the same.
Physics cannot answer. Humans cannot see, hear, or directly perceive matter but can only know matter through "speculation" from results arising due to the direct or indirect interaction of matter with the five senses: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body. The two forms of matter, particle, and wave, confirmed by science, are real due to reasoning about the direct or indirect interaction results on the five senses.
So, whether there are other forms of matter, physics cannot answer. There are many phenomena that science, with the concept of matter existing in particle and wave forms, cannot explain, possibly due to phenomena arising from interactions of other forms of matter with each other, interacting with particle and wave matter. Experimental science, by observing and reasoning about the interaction between two factors, can describe the interaction results with relatively accurate mathematical formulas because at that time it escapes the concept of one cause producing results, the cause transforming into results, escaping from philosophical concepts.
Therefore, experimental science can have correct understandings of the material world if observing and reasoning about the interaction between two factors, essentially interacting information, disregarding philosophical concepts. But such understandings of experimental science are also just a few scattered pieces about the material world, not a complete, comprehensive, true understanding of the material world. Only one thing is certain: those physical forms are continuously interacting with each other pair by pair, constantly arising and ceasing.
No physical form exists permanently, even particle and wave matter are due to interaction, not inherent anywhere. Therefore, it is impossible to imagine a world model, a worldview compatible with the material world, because it does not match the rapid arising and ceasing nature of matter. Scientific understanding of matter is just a few scattered pieces derived from speculation, so seeking the origin of matter, the origin of the universe is an illusion of some scientists based on incorrect understandings.
Chapter 3: Impermanence - Non-Self Information is a new scientific field but has achievements that change the world and human perception. In the field of information, there are many different subjects like information transmission, encoding, storage. .
. but the most distinctive one will change human perception in the future is the study of information interaction laws. The greatest achievement of information technology is the creation of computers by "mimicking" human memory (Sati) and thinking (Citta).
Of course, computers also have a crucial part: memory or hard drive storing installed information (software). The act of searching for "matching information" in memory with the received information is similar to memory or Sati, and the act of analyzing, comparing, synthesizing, judging, concluding between the two pieces of information (one received from outside and one by the search tool) mimics human thinking. For humans, for knowing consciousness to arise, there must be memory (Sati), thinking (Citta), and "information storage" or memory storing learned knowledge, understanding, experience from the past.
The information stored in this storage, in Buddhist terms, is called mental objects (Dharmayatana), it is a mental object, not a physical object. But where is this mental storage in humans? This information cannot be stored in the mind processes because mind processes are arising and ceasing, so it can only be stored in the body.
And the only place in the body that can store information is the DNA structure of cells. Science has decoded the genetic information in 5% of the DNA genes, but 95% of the genes contain what science is still unsure. This is the gap that science questions.
It is the 95% of DNA genes in cells that science questions, storing mental object information, the memory of consciousness. Evidence of this truth is organ transplantation in medical science. Medical science has witnessed changes in habits and personality of organ recipients according to the habits and personality of organ donors.
Scientists are puzzled by this phenomenon and offer many explanations, including the concept of "cellular memory," but none are convincing. This event confirms that the mental object information from the donor's organs has been transmitted to the recipient's memory. Therefore, it is confirmed that the mental object information is stored in the DNA structure of cells.
For example, a young man received a heart transplant from a traffic accident victim, and after recovery, something strange happened. When he saw his parents, siblings, friends, he still recognized and interacted with them as before. But when he saw the parents, siblings, friends of the deceased (the donor), he still recognized and interacted with the character and personality of the deceased.
This event occurs because the mental object information of the deceased is stored in the DNA structure of cells, including heart cells, so when the heart is transplanted, the mental object information of the deceased is transmitted into the DNA structure of the recipient, and the recipient's memory will have two sets of mental object information from the living and the deceased. Therefore, when his eyes contact his parents, siblings, friends of the living, it simultaneously generates visual sensation and eye consciousness. At that time, eye consciousness only recognizes the object but does not know what or who the object is.
Next, memory arises, searching for matching information in the memory and finding the matching information of the living, followed by thinking analyzing, comparing the two sets of information, and generating knowing consciousness knowing that this is his parents, siblings, friends, and interacting according to the living's information. Similarly, when his eyes contact the parents, siblings, friends of the deceased, memory searches for matching information, and it is the mental object information of the deceased, and thinking arises, generating knowing consciousness knowing that this is his parents, siblings, friends of the deceased, and interacting according to the deceased's character. So, there are not two souls, not two independent consciousnesses from the brain, but the mind process uses two sets of information in the memory stored in the DNA structure of cells.
Science also has a similar concept of information but believes it is stored in the brain's folds, and that view is not true because here it is a heart transplant, not a brain transplant. Thus, in the DNA structure of body cells, there are two sets of information: genetic information and mental object information (information about consciousness). The interaction between the six senses and six objects is seen as the interaction between two types of matter in common human understanding.
According to the dualistic concept, mind and matter are separate to be easily comprehensible for the majority, but if observed more deeply, it is the interaction of information. For example, a smartphone with many installed software, different types of information like YouTube, Google, Facebook. .
. and the internet also has many types of information, but when the phone operates in a mode, that software's information only interacts with matching information on the internet, not with all information on the internet. Facebook software information only interacts with Facebook information on the internet, not with Google or YouTube information.
. . Similarly, the interaction between eyes and form objects is the interaction between information in the light from the object reaching the eyes (light carries the object's information like waves carrying television information) and the genetic information of the visual nerve cells on the retina.
The interaction of these two types of information is the interaction of two mental objects, generating simultaneously visual sensation and eye consciousness, which are also two mental objects, not the interaction between two types of matter (physical forms). The interaction between ears and sound objects, nose and smell objects, tongue and taste objects, body and touch objects, mind and mental objects are all interactions between information from those material objects and the genetic information of auditory nerve cells, olfactory nerve cells, gustatory nerve cells, tactile nerve cells, and brain nerve cells. This event also confirms that physical phenomena contain information, so there is no pure matter as understood by humanity and philosophy from past to present.
Matter contains information, spirit, not pure matter. Discovering matter is discovering the information it contains. In the internet, there is electromagnetic waves, which are physical forms, and the information carried by those waves is mental; a book page has paper and ink, which are physical forms, and the information it contains is mental; a tree cross-section has wood and grain patterns, which are physical forms, and the grain patterns contain information about the tree's age, which is mental.
When the foot interacts with the bicycle pedal, it generates the result of the disc turning; the disc turning interacts with the chain generating the chain running; the chain running interacts with the sprocket generating the wheel turning; the wheel turning interacts with the road surface generating the bicycle moving. This is a programmed process installed during bicycle manufacturing. It is the information contained in the physical bicycle, and there cannot be a pure physical bicycle without containing information, without containing spirit.
The category of mind includes feelings (the group of Vedana), types of direct knowing of perception (the group of Sanna), mental actions like memory, thinking, liking, disliking, focusing, intention, suffering, happiness. . .
(the group of Sankhara) and indirect knowing of consciousness (the group of Vijnana), which Buddhist terminology calls Vedana, Sanna, Sankhara, Vijnana. An additional mental object is information about mental objects stored in physical forms, in the memory of consciousness. Vedana, Sanna, Sankhara, Vijnana arise from the interaction of information, so they are impermanent and non-self (ownerless).
But types of knowing are not exclusive to humans and animals due to information storage in the DNA of living matter but can arise from information interaction in inorganic matter. Today, information technology has created drones, self-driving cars, countless types of robots. With the rapid development of bio-sensing devices, robots are no longer limited to mimicking humans with only two senses, eyes and ears, but will skillfully process touch information like humans.
With self-learning software, they can self-learn to collect and install knowledge, understanding, experience into memory like a child learning while growing up. Clearly, it cannot be denied that these inorganic devices still see, hear, feel, perceive, and have speech and actions interacting with objects just like humans. So, the so-called knowing is generated from information interaction, not from eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, mind, not from a soul breathed by a deity, not from seeing, hearing, knowing nature inherently in each being.
Therefore, there is no soul, no ego or self that is the owner or possessor of knowing, meaning knowing is non-self. Conclusion: The Buddha and Science Both science and the Buddha share the same goal, the same desire: to end dukkha (suffering). But science, with understanding according to the principle of Consciousness knowing Objects, has assumed and equated that: reality is the material world.
Governed by the understanding of suffering, the cause of suffering, the end of suffering, and the path to end suffering (the Four Noble Truths) belong to the external world. Specifically, suffering, the cause of suffering, the end of suffering depends on the world, on living conditions. Therefore, it is naturally believed that the path to end suffering is to change the world, change living conditions.
Hence, science strives to explore the material world to change the world, change living conditions, to end human suffering. Conversely, the Buddha, by observing and reasoning about the interaction between the six senses and six objects, realized that the object of reality is feeling, belonging to the category of mind, not objects, according to the principle of Consciousness knowing Mind, mental objects knowing mental objects, not Consciousness seeing and knowing the material world. Therefore, he realized the truth about Consciousness, not the world or the universe.
He realized the Four Noble Truths as realizing the truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, the truth of the path to end suffering (the Four Noble Truths) belonging to mental objects (mind), not to the external world. So, the path to end suffering is to change the mind, not to change the world, as understood by science. Hence, the Dharma the Buddha realized and taught is exploring the mind, changing the mind, not exploring the world, changing the world like science.
For an enlightened person, after understanding and practicing the Dharma taught by the Blessed One correctly and has ended suffering, eradicated suffering, all that needed to be done has been done, nothing more to do, perhaps only sharing what they have realized with those who have the conditions, but that is not a mandatory task. For that person, metaphysical questions like: is the universe square or round, long or short, impermanent or permanent, finite or infinite, the origin of humans and the world from where. .
. no longer concern them. Therefore, the Buddha and science cannot go together, not in the same direction.
Later Buddhist schools did not understand that the Buddha's enlightenment was about the mind, not about the world. Misunderstanding according to the principle of Consciousness knowing Objects, they attributed to the Buddha enlightenment about the world and the universe. Therefore, their commentaries, expositions, scriptures they spoke according to that thought, mainly discussing the relative or absolute world, but they attributed it to the Buddha's words.
Many people, even the majority of Buddhists, do not understand the Buddha's enlightenment about the mind, so they mistakenly believe that scientific achievements increasingly prove the Buddha's enlightenment about the world, knowing the world "before" science. These misconceptions and the scriptures, commentaries of the schools have led even Einstein to mistakenly believe: The religion of the future must be Buddhism because it meets the criteria of modern science.
