Awareness

Awareness or in Sanskrit, apramatta (P., appamado) is an interesting term.  It comes from the Indo-Aryan root MAD which can mean, among other things, “intoxicating”, “maddening”, “delighting”, “exhilarating”.  

To give us some bearings on how much the root leans toward intoxication, matta, derived from the root MAD, refers to somebody who is drunk.

Using the privative “a” changes pra-matta (heedless), so that we get the sense that apramatta means to be heedful or aware rather than unaware.  But as the reader may well gather, the person who is aware is bracing themselves, as it were, trying to maintain a cool head in the midst of emotions that can drag one to the hells!

According to the Dhammapada in the appamada-vaggo, “the path to the Deathless is awareness” awareness being apramatta/appamado.  First, turning to the Dhammapada commentary on the phrase, “Path to the Deathless” it reads as follows:

“Deathless” means Nibbana.  Nibbana, because of being unborn [i.e., without beginning], is not subject to decay and death.  Hence it is called the Deathless.  “Path” is so called because by it they travel.  The meaning is [they] reach the Deathless [by this path].  “Path” and “Deathless” [compounded mean] the path to the Deathless—that is, it is said [that this path is] the means of attaining the Deathless” (trans. Ross Carter & Mahinda Palihawadana).

Keeping in mind that awareness is the path to the Deathless which we learn from the commentary is really nirvana, the sixty-four dollar question is how does awareness exactly become such a path to the Deathless, i.e., nirvana, in the sense of being a means to it?  The answer is not so easy.  

Limitedly, however, the commentary, further on, is able to inform us that those who are unaware are subject to birth and death; moreover, in their unawareness they are as good as dead (you may have met some of these living dead where you work).

I am guessing, but we might be able to explain why awareness is a path to the Deathless by understanding the metaphor of the Three Poisons (dullness, anger, greed) which are intoxicating.  

My guess is that our carnal body is like one big beer stein of the Three Poisons which, if we can maintain awareness, resisting its intoxication, we can make it to nirvana.  But it goes almost without saying that such a path to nirvana requires one heck of a lot of apramatta as long as we exist in this corporeal Three Poisons beer stein!

A caveat to this, we shouldn’t take awareness just to mean to observe what we do in the example of peeling potatoes or making rice at some Zen retreat.  Apramatta is far more.  For if we take into account that the path to the Deathless has many perils—or is a veritable mine field—then the awareness required of us demands a warrior-like awareness not to mention a soberness of mind. 

Comments

[Zengirl]

Considering your natural state of being two cans short of a six pack, well lets say...its on the house honey.

Zengirl
(Enlightenment is never pink - bummer!)

[Capt.Knuckle&Flapjack]

Hey dhammagirl, I like that link you gave, it says that I :

"was indicted in 1993 on one count of Aggravated Murder and twelve counts of Felonious Assault in Ohio"

Thats pretty rich! I dont remember shooting anyone, not to mention I was living in Florida from 1992-1995.

Thanks for the laughter however, I really did enjoy that link imensely. :)

The www sure is one cwazy place indeed.

[Capt.Knuckle&Flapjack]

Zengirl types: Well one of my many friends online found this on him. Obviously he was dragged before an Ohio judge due to his fascination with weapons and violence.

thats a new one on me, honey, Ive never been before a judge, not once in life.

As for Ohio, I havent been to Ohio in almost 7 years, and that was for an electronics show.

I do however enjoy all these false stories about me.

If I could only get it spread around town that I tuck "it" in my sock top to keep "it" from dragging in the dirt, then I might make some good progress with the honeys'

[anonymous]

Thank you Zengirl, but I dont take this internet personality seriously. He is just a suffering poor shmoe. Leave him alone in his misery and let some buddha take pity on him.

I am just here to read some nice interpretations on early buddhism by the zennist. Trolls like Ken are just there for laughs, nothing more.

Have a better one ;)

[Capt.Knuckle&Flapjack]

As to the "deathless" (Immortal), the Upanishads are clear

"for the mortal, there is no soul" - Kath. Up.

Of them who are said "not to taste of death", they are the "rare, the few, the awake"

The "dead man walking" is one who has "died before he has reached death". Or of the commandment "die before ye truely die!"

Death "comes to mortals, but not to them" (fullawake spirit/nous=sambodhicittassa). These same are "those who Mara cannot see, because they are such that no trace can be made of them who have 'gone beyond all becoming' and are Fully-Liberated (suvimutta)"-SN4.