commonplace book
17 A ‘physical object’ is what is potentially capable of being perceived by more than one being. 18 A ‘physical’ phenomenon exists but does not occur. A ‘mental’ phenomenon occurs but does not exist. 19 The ‘occurrence’ of a ‘mental’ phenomenon is direct experience, and cannot be further analysed. It is the fundamental term, to which all things are ultimately reducible. (Everything can be reduced to ‘occurrences’, but Nibbåna is absolute ‘non-occurrence’.) 20 A ‘physical object’ is any object or stimulus of consciousness, the origin of which is not to be found within the series of consciousnesses (or occurrences) of which that consciousness is a/the latest member. 21 Someone else’s consciousness neither occurs nor exists. Thus, one cannot ‘have’ someone else’s consciousness, nor can it be the object of one’s own consciousness. (To read another’s mind may consist in having the same object of consciousness or to have his (?brain) conformation as one’s object of consciousness—but what if he is remembering past feeling? The ‘trace’ theory would assume this, but it is not satisfactory: what about memory of previous existences?—But memory can be mental, and a state of mind reflected by the physical conformation of the (?brain). This would answer.) 22 1. a. Were one to say, ‘Sabbe dhammå aniccå/dukkhåti’, it might be understood that there is no way out of impermanence or suffering. b. Were one to say, ‘Sabbe saπkhårå anattåti’, it might be understood that the asaπkhata is attå. or 2. a. Sabbe saπkhårå aniccåti may be short for Sabbe dhammå aniccå saπkhatå pa†iccasamuppannå. (Not satisfactory.) b. Sabbe dhammå anattåti is as it stands. (Does saπkhårå as above necessarily include ‘inanimate objects’?) or 3. a. Sabbe saπkhårå aniccåti/dukkhåti may refer only to what is specifically stated as saπkhato, that is, mind, and matter connected with mind (i.e. excluding ‘inanimate’ matter). Herein, what is saπkhata is evidently anicca dukkha.
383