Defilements by mental proliferation (papañca)

Amber Larson and Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly; Ven. Gangodawila; Ven. Nyanatiloka

The human plane is in the Sensual Sphere (Kama Loka) and has desire as its main issue (Iggy).

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Ven. Dr. Chandima Gangodawila, Ph.D. explains mental proliferation (papañca) in his book Papañca to Nippapañca: Mental Proliferation to Non-Mental Proliferation.

Papanca to Nippapanca (Dr. Gangodawila)

Mental proliferation is one of the most helpful Theravada Buddhist teachings, crucial in understanding how our thoughts become impure.

The most compelling account of this subject is the Madhupiṇḍika Sutra.

Since many writers do not utilize papañca when referring to the defilements (the kilesas and upakkilesas rooted in the Three Poisons), many readers find the idea of mental purification hard to understand.

If we seriously want to learn how to keep our mental purity unadulterated by the defilements, we should figure out how mental purity is tainted through papañca.

The defilements

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In addition, Dr. Gangodawila examines the association of papañca to kilesas (defilements), upakkilesas (mental impurities), saññā (perceptions), and abhiññā (comprehensions).

This is done to find out if the essential components of mental purity begin with managing papañca or other Dharma concepts for anyone who struggles to keep the defilements in check in modern-day life. (Source)

What are the defilements?

1. 

   Don't Look Down on the Defilements

   greed or clinging (lobha)
2. hatred or aversion (dosa)
3. delusion or ignorance (moha)
4. conceit or "selfing" (māna)
5. wrong views (micchā ditthi)
6. doubt (vicikicchā)
7. torpor (thīnaṃ)
8. restlessness (uddhaccaṃ)
9. shamelessness (ahirikaṃ)
10. recklessness (anottappaṃ)

Impurities of mind (corruptions, imperfections)

1. covetousness and greed (abhijjhā-visamalobha), 2. ill will (vyāpāda), 3. anger (kodha), 4. hostility (upanāha), 5. denigration (makkha), 6. domineering (palāsa), 7. envy (issā), 8. stinginess (macchariya), 9. hypocrisy (māyā), 10. fraud (sātheyya), 11. obstinacy (thambha), 12. presumption (sārambha), 13. conceit (māna), 14. arrogance (atimāna), 15. vanity (mada), 16. negligence (pamāda). (Source)

BOOK CONTENTS

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   Dr. Gangodawila

  Introduction
• What is papañca?
• Papañca (the process of mental proliferation)
• Understanding the connection between papañca and kilesa/upakkilesa

　1. Abhijjā-visamalobha

　2. Byāpada (vyāpāda)

　3. Kodha

　4. Upanāha

　5. Makkha

　6. Palāsa

　　a) Choose when to engage and on what topics

　　b) Depersonalize the situation

　　c) Focus attention on the palāsin

　　d) Remain calm and composed

　　e) Turn reactions into constructive and probing pro-actions

　　f) Think ahead to avoid traps

　7. Issā

　8. Macchariya

　9. Māyā

　10. Sātheyya

　11. Thambha

　12. Sārambha

　13. Māna

　14. Atimāna

　15. Mada

　16. Pamāda

• The contents of papañca: taṇhā, māna, and diṭṭhi
• Papañcasaññāsankhā and vipallāsa
• The difference between saññā and abhiññā
• Transforming the mind from mental proliferation into mental non-proliferation means taking care of the mind
• Conclusion
• Bibliography  More