The Discontentedness of Heavenly Beings and Humans

Monks, heavenly beings and humans seek excitement in forms, have excitement in forms, excite in forms. With the change, fading away, and elimination of forms, heavenly beings and humans dwell in discontentedness.

(In the case of sounds, odors, flavors, physical objects, and mental objects, the discourses are similar to that of forms.)

But, Monks, The Tathāgata, the Arahant, The Perfectly Enlightened One, has understood as they really are the cause and the disappearance, the gratification, the danger, and the escape in the case of forms. He does not seek excitement in forms, does not have excitement in forms, does not excite in forms. With the change, fading away, and elimination of forms, The Tathāgata resides joyful.

(In the case of sounds, odors, flavors, physical objects, and mental objects, the discourses are similar to that of forms.)

(Reference: SN 35.136)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares a quality of mind that he has cultivated in the attainment of Enlightenment so that the Students could then actively apply effort to cultivate that same mental quality.

It is very challenging for an unEnlightened mind to understand the experience of Enlightenment and understand how to attain this mental state. Through The Buddha describing his own qualities of mind, Students can then more readily learn, reflect, and practice to experience the same results. Gotama Buddha sharing that he “does not have excitement in forms” would help Students to understand they will need to cultivate these same qualities of mind to experience Enlightenment.

Through the elimination of the fetter/taint/pollution of mind described as sensual desire, a Practitioner will be able to eliminate all discontent feelings including pleasant feelings.

Pleasant feelings are unsatisfactory because they are temporary, they are impermanent.

As long as the mind welcomes and invites in impermanent pleasant feelings, it will experience painful feelings and feelings that are neither painful-nor-pleasant.

If the mind is unwilling to let go of impermanent conditioned happiness, excitement, elation, etc. (i.e. pleasant feelings), it will never experience permanent unconditioned joy.

The permanent joy of the Enlightened mind exists because the Practitioner has eliminated all the conditions that create impermanent feelings to arise. All conditions that create discontentedness have been eliminated.

The conditions that cause discontentedness are described in The Buddha’s Teaching on Dependent Origination.

While it is The Four Noble Truths that provides a concise description of exactly what causes discontentedness, it is Dependent Origination that describes the overall problems of the unEnlightened mind. Understanding Dependent Origination a Practitioner can fully eliminate all the conditions that are causing discontentedness to arise and remain.

Detailed explanation of Dependent Origination is available in this same book series found in Chapter 14 of the book “The First Stage of Enlightenment (Stream-Enterer)” (Volume 5).

With beings continuing to “seek excitement in forms”, sounds, odors, flavors, physical objects, and mental objects, the mind will continuously experience discontentedness. The Buddha singles out his discussion regarding this topic related to “heavenly beings and humans”.

It is heavenly beings and humans who are capable of attaining Enlightenment. While all beings in The Cycle of Rebirth experience discontentedness, it is only heavenly beings and humans who are capable of eliminating discontentedness by attaining Enlightenment. But, as long as the mind chases after the objects of its affection attempting to create inner feelings based on impermanent conditions, the mind will never experience peacefulness.

The impermanent conditions that cause pleasant feelings are temporary. Due to the mind basing its inner feelings on impermanent conditions seeking excitement (i.e. pleasant feelings), the mind cannot reside permanently peaceful, calm, serene, and content with joy. The unEnlightened mind cannot experience permanent pleasant feelings as long as its basing its inner feelings on impermanent conditions.

To understand “the cause and the disappearance, the gratification, the danger, and the escape in the case of forms. He does not seek excitement in forms”, sounds, odors, flavors, physical objects, and mental objects, see Chapter 6 and 42 of the book “The Six Sense Bases” (Volume 9) of this same book series.

Cause: craving/desire/attachment

Disappearance: The Universal Truth of Impermanence

Gratification: The unEnlightened mind’s fetter/taint/pollution of “sensual desire”

Danger: The Universal Truth of Discontentedness

Escape: The Eight Fold Path