Discontentedness Is Dependently Arisen

On one occasion, Ānanda, I was residing right here in Rajagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrel Sanctuary. Then, in the morning, I dressed and, taking bowl and robe, I entered Rajagaha for almsfood. Then it occurred to me: It is still too early to walk for almsfood in Rajagaha. Let me go to the park of the wanderers of other communities. Then I went to the park of the wanderers of other communities. I exchanged greetings with those wanderers and, when we had concluded our greetings and cordial talk, I sat down to one side.

The wanderers then said to me as I was sitting to one side:

‘Friends, … some Ascetics and Brāhmins, proponents of Kamma, maintain that discontentedness is created by oneself: some Ascetics and Brāhmins, proponents of Kamma, maintain that discontentedness is created by another; some Ascetics and Brāhmins, proponents of Kamma, maintain that discontentedness is created both by oneself and by another; some Ascetics and Brāhmins, proponents of Kamma, maintain that discontentedness has arisen randomly being created neither by oneself nor by another.

Now, what does the Ascetic Gotama say about this? What does he teach? How should we answer if we are to state what has been said by the Ascetic Gotama and not misrepresent him with what is contrary to the truth? And how should we explain in accordance with The Teachings so that no reasonable consequence of our assertion would give ground for criticism?’

I have said, Ānanda, that discontentedness is dependently arisen.

‘Dependent on what?’

Dependent on contact.

If one were to speak thus one would be stating what has been said by me and would not misrepresent me with what is contrary...

(Reference: SN 12.24)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares that in order to produce discontentedness, that it is dependent on “contact”. This can be understood through his Teaching on Dependent Origination.

Whether it be either a pleasant feeling, a painful feeling, or a feeling that is neither painful-nor-pleasant, discontentedness is unable to be experienced in the mind without contact through The Six Sense Bases.

Contact is also a required condition to create Kamma. Without contact, Kamma cannot be created. Whether it be wholesome or unwholesome, new or old, the creation of Kamma is dependent on contact.

This is helpful to know because as the mind is progressing towards Enlightenment, not yet Enlightened, as the mind experiences the arising of discontentedness and there is potential for the creation of unwholesome Kamma, a Practitioner can eliminate “contact” to eliminate the production of unwholesome Kamma.

Through ignoring, walking away, or otherwise disengaging, a Practitioner can eliminate the production of unwholesome Kamma. If one has contact through bodily, verbal, or mental conduct that is unwholesome, unwholesome Kamma will be created.

To attain Enlightenment a Practitioner will need to completely eliminate 100% of all unwholesome Kamma and to accomplish that goal, one will need to exercise restraint in situations where the mind needs to be disciplined to not produce unwholesome bodily, verbal, or mental conduct. There are situations where disengaging is the wisest solution to not produce any unwholesome Kamma.

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).

Detailed explanation of The Six Sense Bases is available in this same book series found in Chapter 5 of the book “Developing a Life Practice: The Path That Leads to Enlightenment” (Volume 1) and in the book “The Six Sense Bases” (Volume 9).