Monday, 22 November 2010
Saturday, 20 November 2010
Abhidhamma and the Noble Eightfold Path: Planting the Seeds of right View and Intention with Radical Acceptance!
"The Cultivation of wholesome and beautiful CITTAS and CETASIKA is only a matter of conditions that were cultivated in the right way by following correctly the noble eightfold path. On this path there is no "practitioner" who practices or is controlling something. This is the true and correct meaning of the doctrine of ANATTA, the doctrine of no-self"
Many people find it difficult to accept that that none of the CITTAS and CETASIKA so that to say the different bits of consciousness as well as the different types of awareness, which are cognitively engaged with the objects that were at the same time cognized by CITTA, as explained in the previous posts dealing with the ABHIDHAMMA, can be forced or controlled by us during or by the practice. It is a mistake, actually an initial inability to understand and to accept those facts at the beginning of the practice that occur through ignorance and the misunderstanding of the doctrine of ANATTA (No –Self) and ANICCA (Impermanence). The Cultivation of wholesome and beautiful CITTAS and CETASIKA is only a matter of conditions that were cultivated in the right way by following correctly the noble eightfold path. On this path there is no "practitioner" who practices or is controlling something. This is the true and correct meaning of the doctrine of ANATTA, the doctrine of no-self. This assertion is true not only for certain types of CITTAS and CETASIKAS, the different types of awareness, but for all of them including mindfulness and wisdom themselves.
In the same way as mindfulness, we cannot force also wisdom to arise. In this sense it is possible that we have developed a very wide and solid base of wisdom through the practice of the four foundations of mindfulness and VIPASSANA Meditation, but it will not arise always and will not be permanent unless we have reached full enlightment and attained NIBANNA. Anyway, during the practice itself there will be inevitably also moments of unwholesome CITTAS and CETASIKAS like ignorance, aversion, forgetfulness and many other unwholesome CITTAS, CETASIKAS or destructive emotions. When this is the case, namely that we have to experience during the practice both unwholesome moments of consciousness and mental factors as well as beautiful and wholesome one, that are rising and falling all the time, it is impossible for wisdom to arise simultaneously and instantaneously at the same time of negative moments, mental factors and emotions. Either way, during the practice itself and while still walking the path it is bound to happen a lot. It is a matter of accumulation of more and more wholesome CITTAS and CETASIKAS, so that once conditions become ripe. In other words: we can practice, but we cannot force the conditions or know when they will be ripe.
Anyway, due to the depth of uncertainty and impermanence involved at this level, we will need to apply here radical acceptance to the practice and when talking about such kind of practice in terms of radical acceptance we must bear in mind that radical acceptance as understood usually in terms of accepting ourselves as we are is the easier part of cultivating such acceptance. But once we have cultivated such acceptance, there is still a lot of work to be done in terms of accepting the inability of controlling the path, of the inability actually to control anything, the inability to set any goals and the inability to put an end to our uncertainty in terms of achieving any goals on the path. Considering such kind of a practice, we must understand its essence by using the analogy of planting seeds of right view and intentions. In this sense, seeds can sometimes grow and sometime not. It is a matter of conditions. When they grow, sometimes they can grow too fast, it can be bad or good, sometimes they can grow very slowly, it can be bad or good as well. Sometimes the seeds can grow exactly at time. Everything is of course a matter of conditions, when the seeds where cultivated in the right way and there is no "I" whether in the seeds or whether in the one who has grown them. There is no "I", no "ego", or a "self" that is controlling those processes.
So if there is volition as a type of CETASIKA, a mental factor or awareness that is cognitively engaged with an object and wants something, while there is no "I" that wants it, if to mention another example, it will continue to rise and fall due to impermanence, no self and conditionality once and again until we reach full enlightment and transform volitions, although the intensity will possibly decline and the interval between the rising and falling will become longer. What we have to do in this case is whether being attached or aversive towards it, not identifying those energies as ourselves, as "me", "I" or "mine" and not acting upon them. The same is true also with other types of awareness, mental factors and emotions. No matter if there is aversion attachment or a destructive emotion as a type of CETASIKA it will continue to rise and fall due to impermanence, no self and conditionality once and again until we reach full enlightment and transform those unwholesome CETASIKAS, although the Intensity will possibly decline and the interval between the rising and falling will become longer. What we have to do in this case once again is whether being attached or aversive towards it, not identifying those energies as ourselves, as "me", "I" or "mine" and not acting upon them.
Anyway, what can still be done, is to continuation of the practice, knowing that the accumulation of more and more wholesome CITTAS and CETASIKAS will reach one day the point when the conditions for enlightment and the cessation of our suffering has ripen, but we would never know when it will happen exactly. It is therefore a good practice in terms of cultivating right view and intentions, to start for example our meditation sessions by taking some deep breath, becoming aware of intentions and the seeds of intentions and wisdom that we are going to plant and that will bear wonderful and majestic fruits one day, when conditions for it are ripe. In other words: it means that we avoid setting goals in our practice, but only plant seeds that will lead us to attain the fruits of the path, when the conditions are ready and the fruits are ripe. It is a kind of practice that should be actually applied not only for the formal meditation sessions, but also for the practice of the four foundation of mindfulness over the whole period of wakefulness. In this way we will be able to work on the very subtle and latent forms of craving and its transformation.
To sum it up: when we lack the right understanding of the path including the essence of the level of intentions, this may confuse us. We can think that if we had developed a certain level of mindfulness, insight and wisdom that it must last now forever, that we must be able to use it any time we want. But this is a deep misunderstanding of how CITTA and CETASIKAS work as well as a deep misunderstanding of the doctrine of ANATTA (no-self) and the principle of ANICCA (impermanence). Not only that it is not so, but if it would be like that, it would mean that there is actually an "I", an "ego" or a self that is capable in managing all of that. It is than on the other side a contradiction to all the teachings thus the Ignorance of an "ego" or a permanent "self" is the deepest delusion that perpetuates our suffering. The truth is that there is no "I", no practitioner that is undergoing the path or the practice; wisdom itself is also ANATTA. When conditions are ready and right, we will attain NIBANNA. In this case volition will be transformed into wisdom and then and only than wisdom will be permanent, but also behind this process there is no self, it is ANATTA, selfless. It is not only this DHAMMA, but all DHAMMAs are ANATTA as the Buddha taught us.
In a previous post, I have described this process in the following terms: "In this context it is important to ask who or what attains enlightment, because if there’s no “I”, no “ego”, no “soul”, no “person”, behind the deeds and practice, so who or what attains enlightment? In a way it is possible to say that when the process of the transformation of CETANA to PANNA has been ended or completed, an enlightment was achieved thus the discursive and dual form of CETANA of the mundane and conditioned consciousness has been transformed into the ultimate and unconditioned form of wisdom and supra mundane consciousness. It is possible to say therefore that it is the process, the PANNA itself, who leads or attain enlightment, but not the “I”, the “self” or the “ego”. There is no “person” or Practitioner that achieves enlightment – not “I’, not “me” and not “by myself”. So in this Case an enlightened being has still volitional energy, but that of the universal, interconnected and supra mundane form and consciousness, the unconditioned volitional or intentional energy in form of wisdom. This fits to what Sozuki Roshi described as “there is no enlightened being, but only enlightened activity”.
Many people find it difficult to accept that that none of the CITTAS and CETASIKA so that to say the different bits of consciousness as well as the different types of awareness, which are cognitively engaged with the objects that were at the same time cognized by CITTA, as explained in the previous posts dealing with the ABHIDHAMMA, can be forced or controlled by us during or by the practice. It is a mistake, actually an initial inability to understand and to accept those facts at the beginning of the practice that occur through ignorance and the misunderstanding of the doctrine of ANATTA (No –Self) and ANICCA (Impermanence). The Cultivation of wholesome and beautiful CITTAS and CETASIKA is only a matter of conditions that were cultivated in the right way by following correctly the noble eightfold path. On this path there is no "practitioner" who practices or is controlling something. This is the true and correct meaning of the doctrine of ANATTA, the doctrine of no-self. This assertion is true not only for certain types of CITTAS and CETASIKAS, the different types of awareness, but for all of them including mindfulness and wisdom themselves.
In the same way as mindfulness, we cannot force also wisdom to arise. In this sense it is possible that we have developed a very wide and solid base of wisdom through the practice of the four foundations of mindfulness and VIPASSANA Meditation, but it will not arise always and will not be permanent unless we have reached full enlightment and attained NIBANNA. Anyway, during the practice itself there will be inevitably also moments of unwholesome CITTAS and CETASIKAS like ignorance, aversion, forgetfulness and many other unwholesome CITTAS, CETASIKAS or destructive emotions. When this is the case, namely that we have to experience during the practice both unwholesome moments of consciousness and mental factors as well as beautiful and wholesome one, that are rising and falling all the time, it is impossible for wisdom to arise simultaneously and instantaneously at the same time of negative moments, mental factors and emotions. Either way, during the practice itself and while still walking the path it is bound to happen a lot. It is a matter of accumulation of more and more wholesome CITTAS and CETASIKAS, so that once conditions become ripe. In other words: we can practice, but we cannot force the conditions or know when they will be ripe.
Anyway, due to the depth of uncertainty and impermanence involved at this level, we will need to apply here radical acceptance to the practice and when talking about such kind of practice in terms of radical acceptance we must bear in mind that radical acceptance as understood usually in terms of accepting ourselves as we are is the easier part of cultivating such acceptance. But once we have cultivated such acceptance, there is still a lot of work to be done in terms of accepting the inability of controlling the path, of the inability actually to control anything, the inability to set any goals and the inability to put an end to our uncertainty in terms of achieving any goals on the path. Considering such kind of a practice, we must understand its essence by using the analogy of planting seeds of right view and intentions. In this sense, seeds can sometimes grow and sometime not. It is a matter of conditions. When they grow, sometimes they can grow too fast, it can be bad or good, sometimes they can grow very slowly, it can be bad or good as well. Sometimes the seeds can grow exactly at time. Everything is of course a matter of conditions, when the seeds where cultivated in the right way and there is no "I" whether in the seeds or whether in the one who has grown them. There is no "I", no "ego", or a "self" that is controlling those processes.
So if there is volition as a type of CETASIKA, a mental factor or awareness that is cognitively engaged with an object and wants something, while there is no "I" that wants it, if to mention another example, it will continue to rise and fall due to impermanence, no self and conditionality once and again until we reach full enlightment and transform volitions, although the intensity will possibly decline and the interval between the rising and falling will become longer. What we have to do in this case is whether being attached or aversive towards it, not identifying those energies as ourselves, as "me", "I" or "mine" and not acting upon them. The same is true also with other types of awareness, mental factors and emotions. No matter if there is aversion attachment or a destructive emotion as a type of CETASIKA it will continue to rise and fall due to impermanence, no self and conditionality once and again until we reach full enlightment and transform those unwholesome CETASIKAS, although the Intensity will possibly decline and the interval between the rising and falling will become longer. What we have to do in this case once again is whether being attached or aversive towards it, not identifying those energies as ourselves, as "me", "I" or "mine" and not acting upon them.
Anyway, what can still be done, is to continuation of the practice, knowing that the accumulation of more and more wholesome CITTAS and CETASIKAS will reach one day the point when the conditions for enlightment and the cessation of our suffering has ripen, but we would never know when it will happen exactly. It is therefore a good practice in terms of cultivating right view and intentions, to start for example our meditation sessions by taking some deep breath, becoming aware of intentions and the seeds of intentions and wisdom that we are going to plant and that will bear wonderful and majestic fruits one day, when conditions for it are ripe. In other words: it means that we avoid setting goals in our practice, but only plant seeds that will lead us to attain the fruits of the path, when the conditions are ready and the fruits are ripe. It is a kind of practice that should be actually applied not only for the formal meditation sessions, but also for the practice of the four foundation of mindfulness over the whole period of wakefulness. In this way we will be able to work on the very subtle and latent forms of craving and its transformation.
To sum it up: when we lack the right understanding of the path including the essence of the level of intentions, this may confuse us. We can think that if we had developed a certain level of mindfulness, insight and wisdom that it must last now forever, that we must be able to use it any time we want. But this is a deep misunderstanding of how CITTA and CETASIKAS work as well as a deep misunderstanding of the doctrine of ANATTA (no-self) and the principle of ANICCA (impermanence). Not only that it is not so, but if it would be like that, it would mean that there is actually an "I", an "ego" or a self that is capable in managing all of that. It is than on the other side a contradiction to all the teachings thus the Ignorance of an "ego" or a permanent "self" is the deepest delusion that perpetuates our suffering. The truth is that there is no "I", no practitioner that is undergoing the path or the practice; wisdom itself is also ANATTA. When conditions are ready and right, we will attain NIBANNA. In this case volition will be transformed into wisdom and then and only than wisdom will be permanent, but also behind this process there is no self, it is ANATTA, selfless. It is not only this DHAMMA, but all DHAMMAs are ANATTA as the Buddha taught us.
In a previous post, I have described this process in the following terms: "In this context it is important to ask who or what attains enlightment, because if there’s no “I”, no “ego”, no “soul”, no “person”, behind the deeds and practice, so who or what attains enlightment? In a way it is possible to say that when the process of the transformation of CETANA to PANNA has been ended or completed, an enlightment was achieved thus the discursive and dual form of CETANA of the mundane and conditioned consciousness has been transformed into the ultimate and unconditioned form of wisdom and supra mundane consciousness. It is possible to say therefore that it is the process, the PANNA itself, who leads or attain enlightment, but not the “I”, the “self” or the “ego”. There is no “person” or Practitioner that achieves enlightment – not “I’, not “me” and not “by myself”. So in this Case an enlightened being has still volitional energy, but that of the universal, interconnected and supra mundane form and consciousness, the unconditioned volitional or intentional energy in form of wisdom. This fits to what Sozuki Roshi described as “there is no enlightened being, but only enlightened activity”.
Sunday, 14 November 2010
Metta as Existential Psychology on the spiritual Level in the Light of Abhidhamma: Understanding and Interpreting Dhammapadda with Abhidhamma!
"Hate is not overcome by hate; by Love (Metta) alone is hate appeased. This is an eternal law".
"Conquer the angry man by love; conquer the ill-natured man by goodness; conquer the miser with generosity; conquer the liar with truth"
"The Dhammapadda"
In the Dhammapadda we read: "Hate is not overcome by hate; by Love (Metta) alone is hate appeased. This is an eternal law. Furthermore, we can read also: "Conquer the angry man by love; conquer the ill-natured man by goodness; conquer the miser with generosity; conquer the liar with truth". It must be said that when we read first those statements of the Buddha, the first Interpretation that comes into mind, which is also the traditional one, is to associate them to other people on terms of interpersonal relationships, who behave themselves in this way. While this is certainly correct, this interpretation overseas some important dimensions of those teachings of the Buddha. When we look at those statements from the perspective of Abhidhamma and in the light of Metta, it becomes clear that those statements address in a non dual way not only our fellow human beings, but our own mind as well. Anyway, considering the behavior of other people it is quite easy to understand: it is a principle that is similar to the Process of adding Water if we want to cease a Fire and using Fire if we want to vaporize Water or cooling something that is too hot and then warm something that is to cold. In the same way that Fire is not to cease by Fire and something which is too hot cannot be cooled by heating it even more, so in the same way hatred cannot be ceased by adding more hatred. But what does it has to do with our own mind. To understand this question, we must first understand how the mind works and how the defilement of anger and the poison of ill-will are arising in terms of the Abhidhamma.
As I did in my previous post dealing with the Abhidhamma, I want first of all start with a general description of CITTA and CETASIKAS: CITTA (Consciousness) and CETASIKAS (Mental Factors) are actually two conditioned NAMAS, mental phenomena, which are appearing or arising with each and every moment in our daily life and experience. While both of them, consciousness as well as the mental factors are arising in pairs and share the same object or phenomena of cognition, CITTA (Consciousness) is the leader of those two and thus CETASIKAS is a mental factor that is accompanying CITTA. If to use a metaphor and the terminology used in modern computer science, we can say that CITTA (Consciousness) is working in serial, a bit after bit of cognizable objects and phenomena occurring through one of the six senses, which means that there is always only one object or phenomena that a CITTA (Consciousness) can cognize at any given time, while CETASIKAS (Mental Factors) are accompanying those bits of consciousness in serial, which means on the other hand that each single bit of consciousness is accompanied by more than one mental factor at any given time. There are at least seven universal mental factors that are accompanying each bit of Consciousness.
Furthermore, we can say that while the function of CITTA is to cognize an object or phenomena, mental factors, that is to say CETASIKAS, share the same object with the CITTA, but they each have their own specific quality and function. In other words: CETASIKAS are relating to the phenomena and have the aim or serve as a certain function to the CITTA and the cognizable objects and phenomena. We can also add and say that there are six types consciousnesses according to each of the six senses, while there are 52 mental factors that are accompanying each one of the six types of consciousnesses at each moment of experience, while of course not all the 52 mental factors arise at one time, but at least a combination or a set of the seven universal CETASIKAS accompanied very often by some additional mental factors from the 52 in all. The seven universal CETASIKAS are contact, feeling-sensations, perception, volition-intention, one pointedness-concentration, psychic life – life faculty and attention, so as we see in terms of the chain of dependent Origination it starts with contact, while further on each moment of Consciousness is accompanied by whether contact and feeling, contact and perception, contact and volition and so on. Anyway, in many of my previous posts I have dealt with all the links of the chain and their meanings in detail, so I am not going to deal in this post with those aspects, but rather more discuss it in terms of the practice itself and why it is important for the purification of defilements
So when we apply this description to all kinds of destructive emotions and in this case Anger, we can say that when there is an unpleasant object that CITTA (consciousness) cognizes, while there is Ignorance and lack of mindfulness and wise attention, in this case CITTA (consciousness) will arise together with an unwholesome CETASIKA of aversion that will be accompanied also by Anger and possibly by other unwholesome mental factors that is to say CETASIKAS. The process that I have described in my previous posts concerning the brains functioning including the amygdala, which acts as a repository for our repertoire of negative emotional habits and as a storehouse for negative emotional memories including our schemas, fits exactly in this very short period of time (mili– seconds). In the next bit of consciousness, CITTA will cognize the mental Cetasika and Anger itself, while in this moment it will arise once again together with the cetasika of aversion and Anger, while this time aversion will address not only the unpleasant object, maybe even not the object at all, but the previous mental state as its object. In other words: we become a kind of a reactor, a generator, which produces in an ongoing manner aversion and anger.
Anyway, although those bits of CITTA and CETASIKAS occurring in pairs as consciousness and aversion and anger will arise and to fall due to impermanence, the only way to break the cycle of ill-will and anger, so that it will not continue to occur repeatedly and in acyclic way, can be achieved only by mindfulness, wise attention and the cultivation of wisdom, compassion and loving kindness that will lead to the accumulation of more and more wholesome CITTAS and beautiful CETASIKAS. Going the other way, addressing aversion and anger with more anger and aversion (=being angry about the anger), as some other spiritual paths are preaching, will bring nothing more than the accumulation of more and more unwholesome CITTAS and CETASSIKAS: in other words it will only perpetuate unwholesomeness, anger and suffering
Here, we must also add what is already obvious: when there is anger or aversion there is no loving kindness possible, whether towards ourselves or towards others, even because it is impossible to have two opposite emotions at the one and the same tome or at the one and the same moment. It becomes actually a magic circle that cannot be broken unless we start to apply mindfulness, wise attention and cultivate wisdom, compassion and loving kindness, as mentioned above. Therefore, as the Dhammapadda teaches us: "Hate is not overcome by hate; by Love (Metta) alone is hate appeased. This is an eternal law or "Conquer the angry man by love; conquer the ill-natured man by goodness; conquer the miser with generosity; conquer the liar with truth". It is a psychological principle that must be applied to both: to ourselves and to other people as well in a non dual way.
Addressing Metta in this way more as a discipline of existential psychology, rather than a discipline of morality, although such a moral dimension is included in the existential psychology as well, I wrote the following explanation in my previous posts: "The Cultivation of Metta does not mean in this Sense to cultivate or on the contrary to suppress any kind of Feelings, Metta is a Philosophy and an Approach that we embrace when traveling through our Life. It is actually a Strategy that abandons our Dependence on Fear and Anger in order to take care and to protect us" or "The Cultivation of Metta is by no Mean about the Cultivation of certain or specific Emotions; it's not about liking or disliking People at all, but about the Purification of our own Intentions. In other Words: it's about Karma. It's about the understanding that whether we like it or not, whether we want it or not, we are all interconnected and all that we do affect ourselves and others in mutual and reciprocal Movement. Everything we do has inevitably Results". In other words: "The Cultivation of Metta and the other Brahma Viharas is not the Work of Cultivation of certain and specific Emotions, but about the psychological Work, especially of purifying our Intentions and Defilements. It's about our Karma".
In his Essay" The Buddha on Compassion: An Existential Approach", Professor Chen Yu-His from the Fo Guang University in Taiwan, sums up this Idea in the following way: "But the Buddha and historical Buddhist sages were not moralists. Rather, they took an existential approach, pointing out that love and compassion is a quality - and an inner power -- intrinsic to our true nature, i.e., the "Buddha-nature." If we know how to connect with our Buddha-nature, we touch the abundant source of that divine quality. Here we are talking about depth psychology on a spiritual level, not religious ethics. The Buddhist perception of "unconditioned love and compassion" is neither a metaphysical abstraction nor altruist idealism". "The Buddha", continues Professor Chen Yu-His, "speaks of love and compassion as the unique power within us that overcomes fear and hatred, and that heals a wounded soul. As he observes, "Hatred can never be ceased by hatred; it is ceased by love alone." He also advises people to "conquer anger by love." These remarks are interpreted as addressing interpersonal relationships jarred by hatred and animosity. True, we can give numerous examples to show how a dose of good will, tolerance or forgiveness can help bring reconciliation to interpersonal conflicts. But we should not overlook another important aspect of the issue, that is, love and compassion is also an effective antidote to hatred, anger, animosity, etc. within ourselves. It is known that these mental negativities can produce toxic endocrinal secretions to damage physical as well as mental health. Among other things, hatred can accumulate into a psychological complex, which in turn gives rise to depression and other neurotic disorders" (http://www.buddhachannel.tv/portail/spip.php?article4093)
"Mainstream psychotherapy", says Professor Chen Yu-His, offers all sorts of cures based on rational egoism, only to ignore the most efficacious method that makes use of the patient's inner resource of love and compassion. The absurdity and irrationality of the supposedly rational therapeutic approaches is illustrated by this analogy: Why do you bother to remove ice and snow with a shovel when sunshine can easily do the job? There is radiant sunshine deep down in the heart of every one of us. And as existential psychology suggests, we have complete freedom to choose to evoke that inner radiance to heal others as well as ourselves. So, next time you are caught up in anger and hatred, just stop to do a little contemplation and introspection before going to a psychotherapist. Are these negativities really necessary? Do I not have the inner strength to conquer them? Please note that the practice of forgiveness can be constructively motivated by self-interest. You forgive your enemy not to fulfill any religious or moral norm, but simply to benefit yourself. For you do not want the harmful emotions to continue working havoc to your mental well-being. With this understanding in mind, the practice of forgiveness and tolerance can yield amazingly positive results (http://www.buddhachannel.tv/portail/spip.php?article4093).
Mastering Happiness
Wisdom says we're not!
Love say's we're all!
Radical acceptance and compassion embraces everything!
Between these four real happiness flows!
Love say's we're all!
Radical acceptance and compassion embraces everything!
Between these four real happiness flows!
Saturday, 13 November 2010
Anxiety Disorders understood and explained by Abhidhamma and Buddhist Psychology: Practice and Methods of Coping with Mindfulness and Metta Bhavana
When I decided to write this post dealing with anxiety disorders, I had a certain dilemma whether to quote here the description and the symptoms for this kind of disorders in terms of modern psychology or not, because they incorporate the deep delusions and misunderstanding of human minds. Anyway, when I pondered this issue, I decided for all that to quote it in order to emphasize those two parameters of the western pathological psychology. A typical Description that can be found on the Web would be as following: "Anxiety is a natural response and a necessary warning adaptation in humans. Anxiety can become a pathologic disorder when it is excessive and uncontrollable, requires no specific external stimulus, and manifests with a wide range of physical and affective symptoms as well as changes in behavior and cognition. As outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition, text revision (DSM IV-TR), anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder (also known as social phobia), specific phobia, panic disorder with and without agoraphobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety secondary to medical condition, acute stress disorder (ASD), and substance-induced anxiety disorder". Another Description of that kind, but that includes on the other side some correct Factors would be as following: Generalized anxiety disorder has been linked to disrupted functional connectivity of the amygdala and its processing of fear and anxiety. Sensory information enters the amygdala through the nuclei of the basolateral complex (consisting of lateral, basal, and accessory basal nuclei). The basolateral complex processes sensory-related fear memories and communicate their threat importance to memory and sensory processing elsewhere in the brain such as the medial prefrontal cortex and sensory cortices. Another area the adjacent central nucleus of the amygdala that controls species-specific fear responses its connections brainstem, hypothalamus, and cerebellum areas. In those with general anxiety disorder these connections functionally seem to be less distinct and there is greater gray matter in the central nucleus. Another difference is that the amygdala areas have decreased connectivity with the insula and cingulated areas that control general stimulus salience while having greater connectivity with the parietal cortex and prefrontal cortex circuits that underlie executive functions. The latter suggests a compensation strategy for dysfunctional amygdala processing of anxiety. This is consistent with cognitive theories that suggest the use in this disorder of attempts to reduce the involvement of emotions with compensatory cognitive strategies. Anyway, because I have discussed and refuted those explanations, while giving the correct explanation in terms of neuroscience as outlined by Tara Benett Goleman in her Book "Emotional Alchemy", I am not going to deal here with the neurological aspects of the syndrome, but explain it in terms of the mind's functioning, while giving the most deep and profound reasons or condition for the arising of fear that triggers the whole process. For further readings, here are the Links to two post that I have written on this subjects: "Mindfulness applied in the Transformation of destructive Moods of Mind: how to release the Grip of Mental States coloring Consciousness and Awareness" and "Methods of Coping and breaking the Chain of Paticcasamupadda apart".
Either way, if we want to deal with fear as a destructive emotion there are two very important aspects that we must understand. Although the neurological dimension is important as well what is more important is to understand the essence of mind and how consciousness works to produce the delusion of fear as well as the most profound reason that triggers fears and the suffering it evokes. In my previous posts dealing with the mind's functioning in terms of consciousness and mental factors, I have described this process as following: CITTA (Consciousness) and CETASIKAS (Mental Factors) are actually two conditioned NAMAS, mental phenomena, which are appearing or arising with each and every moment in our daily life and experience. While both of them, consciousness as well as the mental factors are arising in pairs and share the same object or phenomena of cognition, CITTA (Consciousness) is the leader of those two and thus CETASIKAS is a mental factor that is accompanying CITTA. If to use a metaphor and the terminology used in modern computer science, we can say that CITTA (Consciousness) is working in serial, a bit after bit of cognizable objects and phenomena occurring through one of the six senses, which means that there is always only one object or phenomena that a CITTA (Consciousness) can cognize at any given time, while CETASIKAS (Mental Factors) are accompanying those bits of consciousness in serial, which means on the other hand that each single bit of consciousness is accompanied by more than one mental factor at any given time. There are at least seven universal mental factors that are accompanying each bit of Consciousness. Furthermore, we can say that while the function of CITTA is to cognize an object or phenomena, mental factors, that is to say CETASIKAS, share the same object with the CITTA, but they each have their own specific quality and function. In other words: CETASIKAS are relating to the phenomena and have the aim or serve as a certain function to the CITTA and the cognizable objects and phenomena. We can also add and say that there are six types consciousnesses according to each of the six senses, while there are 52 mental factors that are accompanying each one of the six types of consciousnesses at each moment of experience, while of course not all the 52 mental factors arise at one time, but at least a combination or a set of the seven universal CETASIKAS accompanied very often by some additional mental factors from the 52 in all. The seven universal CETASIKAS are contact, feeling-sensations, perception, volition-intention, one pointedness-concentration, psychic life – life faculty and attention, so as we see in terms of the chain of dependent Origination it starts with contact, while further on each moment of Consciousness is accompanied by whether contact and feeling, contact and perception, contact and volition and so on. Anyway, in many of my previous posts I have dealt with all the links of the chain and their meanings in detail, so I am not going to deal in this post with those aspects, but rather more discuss it in terms of the practice itself and why it is important for the purification of defilements.
So when we apply this description to all kinds of destructive emotions and in this case Fear, we can say that when there is an unpleasant object that CITTA (consciousness) cognizes, while there is Ignorance and lack of mindfulness and wise attention, in this case CITTA (consciousness) will arise together with an unwholesome CETASIKA of aversion that will be accompanied also by fear and possibly by other unwholesome mental factors that is to say CETASIKAS. The process that I have described in my previous posts concerning the brains functioning including the amygdala and hypothalamus fits exactly in this very short period of time (mili– seconds). In the next bit of consciousness, CITTA will cognize the mental Cetasika and fear itself, while in this moment it will arise once again together with the cetasika of aversion and fear, while this time aversion will address not only the unpleasant object, maybe even not the object at all, but the previous mental state as its object. In other words: it means that we actually produce and illusion of fear by ourselves, because besides of the very short period of time the aversion and fear are directed towards our own emotions and not towards the initial object that allegedly triggered them. Thus each bit of CITTA (consciousness) is rising and falling very rapidly and in a flush and thus we are ignorant of ultimate realities, we take everything as a "whole", not understanding the process in details. In a way, consciousness is working as kind of a cinema projector, one frame after another. There is an illusion of a "whole", while everything is divided in many frames, having no self or "I" involved in the story. This process and phenomenon as a symptom is known to modern psychology as well and is described as the fear from fear, while without the proper understanding of minds functioning that the Abhidhamma enables us it is incapable to explain the process. Anyway, those bits of CITTA and Cetasikas occurring in pairs as consciousness and aversion and fear will continue to arise and to fall until cessation either due to impermanence or until we begin to apply mindfulness, wise attention and cultivate wisdom, compassion and loving kindness, as I will explain later, that will lead us to our liberation. Anyway, later as a respond to this situation when there is still Ignorance and other defilements leading to false adaption of methods of coping there may arise attachment in form of obsessive compulsive rituals that will constitute a deluded attempt to try and to push the experience of fear away, which once again is rooted in aversion and fear, and is described in pathological psychology as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Here, we must also take into account that when there is fear or aversion there is no loving kindness possible, whether towards ourselves or towards others. It becomes actually a magic circle that cannot be broken unless we start to apply mindfulness, wise attention and cultivate wisdom, compassion and loving kindness, as mentioned above. Anyway, we should also mention here that the most profound reason for fear is the delusion of duality, the delusion of ego or self, separation, the lack of loving kindness and the misunderstanding of the immense interconnectedness rooted in the doctrine of ANATTA – the doctrine of no-self. The equation here is very simple, the more we feel separated from others, the more we are fearful and the more our anxiety grows; the more we feel interconnected, the more fear and anxiety disappears until its full Cessation. When we put everything together, understanding the law of no-self, understanding correctly the function of mind as well as the brain's function and the neurological aspects involved in it, only then we can understand things exactly as they are and start the path of purification and liberation.
Anyway, when we consider the practice itself we should remember the following things. When there is aversion and fear, as described above, whether due to the arising fear itself or due to the duality and the false view of self, there is no loving kindness and therefore there is always a condition for unwholesome CITTAS and CETASIKAS to arise that will always continue to trigger fear. One possibility is therefore to practice loving kindness (METTA) as an antidote to fear. This practice of METTA that lead in medium and long terms to the accumulation of more wholesome CITTAS is the proven method of coping with fear and our Ignorance, Delusion and Defilements. Either way, it is important to undress not only ourselves and other in the practice of METTA BHAVANA, but also the feelings themselves as a part of the practice of radical acceptance. When we include those hard feelings and destructive emotions in our METTA practice, it not because fear for example is a natural human feeling, as described in a deluded way in modern psychology, but because if we don't add the dimension of METTA here to our emotions, it is hard to cultivate more and more wholesome CITTAS that will be accompanied by more and more beautiful CETASIKAS. The practice of METTA does not eradicate immediately hard emotions, but it conditions its eradication due to the accumulation of more and more wholesome CITTAS and beautiful CETASIKAS. Another kind of practice that is required is mindfulness and vipassana. This is important, because as mention above the most profound reason for the defilement of fear to arise is duality and the wrong view of self (SHAKKYA DITTHI). In order to uproot all our defilements and to cut entirely all our fetters, we have to cultivate wisdom through mindfulness and see realities as they are with vipassna. Actually the correct practice will be to include all kind of practices into one and to practice all of them. It does not mean that we practice everything together in one tine and usually it is helpful when we devote certain periods of time for all the aspects that we need and are required for our purification and liberation. Either way, the importance of loving kindness and mindfulness can be traced back to the fact that fear arises, because we don't understand the doctrine of ANATTA, the doctrine of no self, when we dwell in the dualistic delusions, think there is an "I", a "Soul" or a "Self", which is separated from others and thus misunderstand the immense interconnectedness. At the end we need all of the practices to uproot all our delusions.
Saturday, 6 November 2010
Working with Citta and Cetasikas and understating ultimate Realities as appearing through the five Aggregates of Attachment!
Purification from the three poisons and the work of eradicating and uprooting our defilements requires from us, as will be described in this post, a solid understanding of the mind's functioning as well as the interaction of body and mind and the understanding of ultimate realities as appearing through the five aggregates of attachment. In the following post we will focus ourselves and work mainly with the emphasis on CITTA (Consciousness) and CETASIKAS (Mental Factors), because proper understanding of both NAMAS is very important and even crucial on the path of purification. According to the Buddhist definition, mind (sems) is mere clarity and awareness (gsal-rig-tsam) and refers to the individual, subjective mental activity of experiencing things (myong-ba). Clarity means giving rise to cognitive appearances of things (‘char-ba) and awareness refers to cognitively engaging with them (‘jug-pa).(The Berzin Archive, Mind and Mental Factors: The Fifty-one Types of Subsidiary Awareness, http://www.berzinarchives.com/web/en/archives/sutra/level4_deepening_understanding_path/mind_mental_factors/mind_mental_factors_51.html)
In this Sense, CITTA (Consciousness) and CETASIKAS (Mental Factors) are actually two conditioned NAMAS, mental phenomena, which are appearing or arising with each and every moment in our daily life and experience. While both of them, consciousness as well as the mental factors are arising in pairs and share the same object or phenomena of cognition,because there are always phenomena, occurrences and objects to cognize as well as certain types of awarness to be cognitively engaged with them, CITTA (Consciousness) is the leader of those two and thus CETASIKAS is a mental factor that is accompanying CITTA. If to use a metaphor and the terminology used in modern computer science, we can say that CITTA (Consciousness) is working in serial, a bit after bit of cognizable objects and phenomena occurring through one of the six senses, which means that there is always only one object or phenomena that a CITTA (Consciousness) can cognize at any given time, while CETASIKAS (Mental Factors) are accompanying those bits of consciousness in serial, which means on the other hand that each single bit of consciousness is accompanied by more than one mental factor at any given time. There are at least seven universal mental factors that are accompanying each bit of Consciousness.
Furthermore, we can say that while the function of CITTA is to cognize an object or phenomena, mental factors, that is to say CETASIKAS, share the same object with the CITTA, but they each have their own specific quality and function. In other words: CETASIKAS are relating to the phenomena and have the aim or serve as a certain function to the CITTA and the cognizable objects and phenomena. In terms of the above description from the Berzin archive it means that CITTA is cognizing Objects, Pheno,ena and Occurrences, while CETASIKA is a type of awareness that is cognitively engaged with them. We can also add and say that there are six types consciousnesses according to each of the six senses, while there are 52 mental factors that are accompanying each one of the six types of consciousnesses at each moment of experience, while of course not all the 52 mental factors arise at one time, but at least a combination or a set of the seven universal CETASIKAS accompanied very often by some additional mental factors from the 52 in all. The seven universal CETASIKAS are contact, feeling-sensations, perception, volition-intention, one pointedness-concentration, psychic life – life faculty and attention, so as we see in terms of the chain of dependent Origination it starts with contact, while further on each moment of Consciousness is accompanied by whether contact and feeling, contact and perception, contact and volition and so on. Anyway, in many of my previous posts I have dealt with all the links of the chain and their meanings in detail, so I am not going to deal in this post with those aspects, but rather more discuss it in terms of the practice itself and why it is important for the purification of defilements.
Now let's consider here two Situations from daily Life in order to understand it. The first situation would be for example a case where we give something that is very important and precious to us to someone else as an act of generosity (Dana). Such an act of generosity would be accompanied by happy feelings (SOMANASSA), which can last than for that or the other period of time, even for a longer one. But is this happy feeling all the time also a wholesome one, should it be related solely to the act of generosity and is it the ultimate reality and happiness that we are experiencing at this moment. In our usual terms of Ignorance, we would experience this kind of happy feeling as one longer and undivided period of time in which we feel happy, while in terms of ultimate reality this is pure delusion and not the case. The answer is that in the first bit of consciousness that is accompanied as I said before at least with the seven universal mental factors, CITTA is cognizing the act of Dana and is accompanied by a happy feeling. But the next bit of consciousness may than cognize something different. It can be for example an attachment to the precious object, an attachment to the person, an attachment to the practice, an attachment to the happy feeling itself and usually it is an attachment to the set of all of those phenomena and occurrences that are occurring one after another as an avalanche. In such case the happy feeling will continue for some period of time, even a longer one, but it is clear that it is not wholesome anymore, because besides of the first bit of consciousness related to the actual act of generosity, it is now turned to be rooted in attachment, it is conditioned now and therefore a subject to change and thus no more wholesome as in the first moment. To sum this Situation up: it is important to understand and to realize through direct knowledge the different ultimate realities. In this case it would mean for example that not each happy feeling is wholesome and therefore they must be distinguished. We cannot develop wholesomeness in our life if we take unwholesome for wholesome or if we take unwholesome for VIPAKA.
Another case to be considered here would be a case, when we hear something unpleasant to us and developing unhappy feelings (DOMANASSA) as a result of that hearing. Here, in the first moment CITTA cognizes only the object or phenomena itself. Later, it is than accompanied by unhappy feelings (DOMANASSA), while the unhappy feeling once again could last for that or the other period of time, very often for a longer period. But is the unhappy feeling, which comes with aversion, always related solely to the person, who originated it. In fact and as we said before, in the first bit of consciousness CITTA is cognizing only the Object, which are even not the words, but only the pure form of sound (in the form of waves). It is only in the next bit of consciousness that the unhappy feeling arises and that can be related to aversion to the person, who has originated it. Anyway, from this point of time the unhappy feeling can be a matter of aversion towards the feeling itself, it can be also doubt and actually a wide range of phenomena on behalf of those occurrences. If we add to both cases the Interaction of body and mind and the conglomerate of emotional schemas and destructive emotions, as I have discussed in many of my previous posts, there is actually an un-endless source for such objects of aversion, attachment and ignorance that can arise instantly and in a flash. It is also important to remember that consciousness itself can come in four forms and can be classified in for JATIS. In such a case, when it comes for example as AKUSSALA or KUSSALA VIPAKA, the unhappy or happy feeling is the first bit when CITTA cognizes the object and it has to do with an unwholesome deed we have performed ourselves in previous life, while the next bit would be something different and is rooted than in attachment or aversion as described before.
Anyway, as we see it is actually crucial to understand how the mind works and there is a need in precise knowledge of minds functioning, if we want to purify ourselves from the three poisons and uproot our defilements. We must understand exactly which kind of realities we are experiencing at each moment and how the ultimate realities are expressing themselves through the five aggregates of attachment. It is also important, because the eradication of aversion and all its impression can be done only with the help of such wisdom and the direct experience of realities, when we see everything and those realities as they are. As the examples above explain not each happy feeling is the same and so are the unhappy feeling too. Such knowledge is important because if we do not understand realities as they are and dwell in delusions we lack the ability to offer the proper Solution to a given problem. In those terms dealing with anger, aversion or attachment requires one kind of practice, while aversion or attachment to energetic expressions and bodily feelings and sensations requires a different kind of solution; very often it is not the same.
Either way, such knowledge requires at least some basic understanding in ABHIDHAMMA and Buddhist Psychology. It does not replace of course the traditional practice itself, but it is important to understand the situations and to tailor a proper solution. Metaphorically it can be compared with a physician: when we come to a doctor we got a diagnosis, this is the theory and the knowledge in ABHIDHAMMA, then the doctor gives us a treatment, those are the common and traditional practices themselves. What is different is that we become here our own psychologist and that in psychological and spiritual terms sometimes each bit and bit of consciousness requires a different practice, but in such case we are in need of the ABHIDHAMMA even more, so that we can respond quickly and on the spot. Besides of this, the study of the theory (PARIYATI) should encourage us to the practice (PATIPATTI) which is necessary for the realization of the truth (PATIVEDHA).
From my own practice, I can remember how at the beginning, when working with destructive emotions, I had to deal first a lot with anger among other destructive emotions. Once I have cut and eradicated anger and ill-will, I could see how still restlessness and aversion associated with the raw energetic feeling was still a central phenomenon. I could realize than for example the immediate rising and falling of anger as an energetic phenomenon only in the first moment and as being anatta, when CITTA was cognizing the unpleasant sound or sight and etc, and then realize how the aversion towards the unpleasant feeling itself for example arise in the next bit of consciousness, while there is no ill-will or anger towards the people themselves. In such case it has became possible for me to address specifically a practice to a given situation at that stage of the practice. If I would not be able to distinguish between the different realities I would not be able to offer a practice that would eradicate the other types of aversion and attachment. As we see, such precise understanding of mind, even at the level of working with a "surgical scalpel", is essential; later it must be accompanied and integrated with the common practices in order to be able to achieve the ultimate goal.
In this Sense, CITTA (Consciousness) and CETASIKAS (Mental Factors) are actually two conditioned NAMAS, mental phenomena, which are appearing or arising with each and every moment in our daily life and experience. While both of them, consciousness as well as the mental factors are arising in pairs and share the same object or phenomena of cognition,because there are always phenomena, occurrences and objects to cognize as well as certain types of awarness to be cognitively engaged with them, CITTA (Consciousness) is the leader of those two and thus CETASIKAS is a mental factor that is accompanying CITTA. If to use a metaphor and the terminology used in modern computer science, we can say that CITTA (Consciousness) is working in serial, a bit after bit of cognizable objects and phenomena occurring through one of the six senses, which means that there is always only one object or phenomena that a CITTA (Consciousness) can cognize at any given time, while CETASIKAS (Mental Factors) are accompanying those bits of consciousness in serial, which means on the other hand that each single bit of consciousness is accompanied by more than one mental factor at any given time. There are at least seven universal mental factors that are accompanying each bit of Consciousness.
Furthermore, we can say that while the function of CITTA is to cognize an object or phenomena, mental factors, that is to say CETASIKAS, share the same object with the CITTA, but they each have their own specific quality and function. In other words: CETASIKAS are relating to the phenomena and have the aim or serve as a certain function to the CITTA and the cognizable objects and phenomena. In terms of the above description from the Berzin archive it means that CITTA is cognizing Objects, Pheno,ena and Occurrences, while CETASIKA is a type of awareness that is cognitively engaged with them. We can also add and say that there are six types consciousnesses according to each of the six senses, while there are 52 mental factors that are accompanying each one of the six types of consciousnesses at each moment of experience, while of course not all the 52 mental factors arise at one time, but at least a combination or a set of the seven universal CETASIKAS accompanied very often by some additional mental factors from the 52 in all. The seven universal CETASIKAS are contact, feeling-sensations, perception, volition-intention, one pointedness-concentration, psychic life – life faculty and attention, so as we see in terms of the chain of dependent Origination it starts with contact, while further on each moment of Consciousness is accompanied by whether contact and feeling, contact and perception, contact and volition and so on. Anyway, in many of my previous posts I have dealt with all the links of the chain and their meanings in detail, so I am not going to deal in this post with those aspects, but rather more discuss it in terms of the practice itself and why it is important for the purification of defilements.
Now let's consider here two Situations from daily Life in order to understand it. The first situation would be for example a case where we give something that is very important and precious to us to someone else as an act of generosity (Dana). Such an act of generosity would be accompanied by happy feelings (SOMANASSA), which can last than for that or the other period of time, even for a longer one. But is this happy feeling all the time also a wholesome one, should it be related solely to the act of generosity and is it the ultimate reality and happiness that we are experiencing at this moment. In our usual terms of Ignorance, we would experience this kind of happy feeling as one longer and undivided period of time in which we feel happy, while in terms of ultimate reality this is pure delusion and not the case. The answer is that in the first bit of consciousness that is accompanied as I said before at least with the seven universal mental factors, CITTA is cognizing the act of Dana and is accompanied by a happy feeling. But the next bit of consciousness may than cognize something different. It can be for example an attachment to the precious object, an attachment to the person, an attachment to the practice, an attachment to the happy feeling itself and usually it is an attachment to the set of all of those phenomena and occurrences that are occurring one after another as an avalanche. In such case the happy feeling will continue for some period of time, even a longer one, but it is clear that it is not wholesome anymore, because besides of the first bit of consciousness related to the actual act of generosity, it is now turned to be rooted in attachment, it is conditioned now and therefore a subject to change and thus no more wholesome as in the first moment. To sum this Situation up: it is important to understand and to realize through direct knowledge the different ultimate realities. In this case it would mean for example that not each happy feeling is wholesome and therefore they must be distinguished. We cannot develop wholesomeness in our life if we take unwholesome for wholesome or if we take unwholesome for VIPAKA.
Another case to be considered here would be a case, when we hear something unpleasant to us and developing unhappy feelings (DOMANASSA) as a result of that hearing. Here, in the first moment CITTA cognizes only the object or phenomena itself. Later, it is than accompanied by unhappy feelings (DOMANASSA), while the unhappy feeling once again could last for that or the other period of time, very often for a longer period. But is the unhappy feeling, which comes with aversion, always related solely to the person, who originated it. In fact and as we said before, in the first bit of consciousness CITTA is cognizing only the Object, which are even not the words, but only the pure form of sound (in the form of waves). It is only in the next bit of consciousness that the unhappy feeling arises and that can be related to aversion to the person, who has originated it. Anyway, from this point of time the unhappy feeling can be a matter of aversion towards the feeling itself, it can be also doubt and actually a wide range of phenomena on behalf of those occurrences. If we add to both cases the Interaction of body and mind and the conglomerate of emotional schemas and destructive emotions, as I have discussed in many of my previous posts, there is actually an un-endless source for such objects of aversion, attachment and ignorance that can arise instantly and in a flash. It is also important to remember that consciousness itself can come in four forms and can be classified in for JATIS. In such a case, when it comes for example as AKUSSALA or KUSSALA VIPAKA, the unhappy or happy feeling is the first bit when CITTA cognizes the object and it has to do with an unwholesome deed we have performed ourselves in previous life, while the next bit would be something different and is rooted than in attachment or aversion as described before.
Anyway, as we see it is actually crucial to understand how the mind works and there is a need in precise knowledge of minds functioning, if we want to purify ourselves from the three poisons and uproot our defilements. We must understand exactly which kind of realities we are experiencing at each moment and how the ultimate realities are expressing themselves through the five aggregates of attachment. It is also important, because the eradication of aversion and all its impression can be done only with the help of such wisdom and the direct experience of realities, when we see everything and those realities as they are. As the examples above explain not each happy feeling is the same and so are the unhappy feeling too. Such knowledge is important because if we do not understand realities as they are and dwell in delusions we lack the ability to offer the proper Solution to a given problem. In those terms dealing with anger, aversion or attachment requires one kind of practice, while aversion or attachment to energetic expressions and bodily feelings and sensations requires a different kind of solution; very often it is not the same.
Either way, such knowledge requires at least some basic understanding in ABHIDHAMMA and Buddhist Psychology. It does not replace of course the traditional practice itself, but it is important to understand the situations and to tailor a proper solution. Metaphorically it can be compared with a physician: when we come to a doctor we got a diagnosis, this is the theory and the knowledge in ABHIDHAMMA, then the doctor gives us a treatment, those are the common and traditional practices themselves. What is different is that we become here our own psychologist and that in psychological and spiritual terms sometimes each bit and bit of consciousness requires a different practice, but in such case we are in need of the ABHIDHAMMA even more, so that we can respond quickly and on the spot. Besides of this, the study of the theory (PARIYATI) should encourage us to the practice (PATIPATTI) which is necessary for the realization of the truth (PATIVEDHA).
From my own practice, I can remember how at the beginning, when working with destructive emotions, I had to deal first a lot with anger among other destructive emotions. Once I have cut and eradicated anger and ill-will, I could see how still restlessness and aversion associated with the raw energetic feeling was still a central phenomenon. I could realize than for example the immediate rising and falling of anger as an energetic phenomenon only in the first moment and as being anatta, when CITTA was cognizing the unpleasant sound or sight and etc, and then realize how the aversion towards the unpleasant feeling itself for example arise in the next bit of consciousness, while there is no ill-will or anger towards the people themselves. In such case it has became possible for me to address specifically a practice to a given situation at that stage of the practice. If I would not be able to distinguish between the different realities I would not be able to offer a practice that would eradicate the other types of aversion and attachment. As we see, such precise understanding of mind, even at the level of working with a "surgical scalpel", is essential; later it must be accompanied and integrated with the common practices in order to be able to achieve the ultimate goal.
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