The Great Chronicle of Buddhas
by Ven. Mingun Sayadaw | 1990 | 1,044,401 words
This page describes Sixteen Mental Dispositions (Ajjhasaya) contained within the book called the Great Chronicle of Buddhas (maha-buddha-vamsa), a large compilation of stories revolving around the Buddhas and Buddhist disciples. This page is part of the series known as on Miscellany. This great chronicle of Buddhas was compiled by Ven. Mingun Sayadaw who had a thorough understanding of the thousands and thousands of Buddhist teachings (suttas).
Part 6d - Sixteen Mental Dispositions (Ajjhāsaya)
(Mental disposition is inclination or temperament, which influences the formation of one’s personality. It is basically of two types: good and bad.) There are sixteen dispositions of good type, namely, inclination towards renunciation (nekkhammajjhāsaya); to solitude (pavivekajjhāsaya); to non-greed (lobhajjhāsaya); to non-hatred (adosajjhāsaya); to nondelusion (amohajjhāsaya); to liberation (nissaranajjhāsaya); and to inclination towards each of the Ten Pāramīs (dānajjhāsaya, sīlajjhāsaya, etc.).
Because of their intense inclination for renunciation, Bodhisattas see danger in sensepleasures and household life; because of their intense inclination for solitude, they see danger in company and social life; because of their intense inclination for non-greed, nonhatred, and non-delusion, they see danger in greed, hatred and delusion; because of their intense inclination for liberation, they see danger in all forms of existence. The pāramīs do not arise in him who does not see danger in greed, etc., and who has no intense inclination to non-greed, etc. Therefore, the six inclinations for non-greed, etc., are also the conditions of the pāramīs.
Likewise, the ten inclinations to generosity (dānajjhāsaya), etc., form conditions of the pāramīs. Dānajjhāsaya means constant inclination for generosity through intensity of nongreed by seeing danger in its opposites.
Because of intense inclination for non-greed, Bodhisattas see danger in its opposites i.e. selfishness, and therefore fulfil the Perfection of Generosity; because of intense inclination for morality, they see danger in moral depravity and therefore fulfil the Perfection of Morality. The same consideration applies to all the remaining Perfections.
It should be particularly noted here that the opposites of inclination for renunciation are sense pleasures and household life; for wisdom, are delusion (moha) and doubt (vicikicchā);for energy, is indolence (kosajja); for forbearance, is resentment (akkhanti, dosa); for truthfulness, is speaking lies; for resolution, is indetermination (not being firm in pursuit of merit); for loving-kindness, is ill-will; for equanimity, is (submission to) vicissitudes of the world.
Because of their intense inclination for equanimity, Bodhisattas see dangers in its opposite, namely, (submission to) vicissitudes of the world and fulfil the Perfection of Equanimity. In this way, the ten inclinations, such as those for generosity, etc., also form conditions of the pāramīs.