The first noble truth is the noble truth of suffering (dukkhaṃ ariyasaccaṃ). In the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta the Buddha gave a list of things which are suffering: birth, ageing, sickness, death, meeting with people and things that are displeasing, separation from people and things that are pleasing, and not to have one’s wish fulfilled. We can also add to this list sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair. But at the end of the list in the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta the Buddha said: “In short the five-aggregates subject to clinging are suffering.”
So the truth of suffering is, in short, these five-aggregates subject to clinging: the aggregate of materiality, feeling, perception, mental-formations, and consciousness, subject to clinging. If we simplify them we can say that they are mundane mental and physical phenomena (nāma-rūpa). They are the truth of suffering because they have the nature of being subjected to suffering.
The second noble truth is the noble truth of the cause of suffering (dukkha-samudayaṃ ariyasaccaṃ). The Buddha traced the cause of suffering to craving that leads to renewed existence or rebirth, that is accompanied by delight and lust, that finds delight here and there in one existence or another. It is this craving that compels and propels beings, at the time of death, to seek rebirth and so be embroiled into yet another cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death, another cycle of suffering. And as long as craving is present the cycle of suffering will go on and on from one birth to another, each birth marking the beginning of another cycle of suffering.
The third noble truth is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering (dukkha-nirodhaṃ ariyasaccaṃ). Here the Buddha gave us hope. Even though there is suffering in the world there can also be an end to it. Suffering ceases, according to the Buddha, when there is the complete fading away and cessation of its cause i.e. craving.
Not only did the Buddha said that suffering can cease, he even gave us the way of practice, the method to bring suffering to an end. This is the fourth noble truth, the noble truth of the way that leads to the cessation of suffering (dukkha-nirodha-gāminī paṭipadā ariyasaccaṃ). This is the Noble Eightfold Path consisting of right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.
The Noble Eightfold Path and the Four Noble Truths, these are the basic foundation of the Buddha’s teaching. The Buddha taught in ancient Northern India for forty five years and all the discourses that he delivered during this time were, one way or another, based on the Noble Eightfold Path and the Four Noble Truths. But given that these are the basic foundation of the Buddha’s teaching, where does vipassanā comes in? Where can we place vipassanā in the scheme of the Noble Eightfold Path and Four Noble Truths?
To answer this question let us begin by looking at the basic method of the practice of vipassanā meditation. According to the late Ven. Mahāsi Sayādaw the actual method of practice of vipassanā meditation is to contemplate our experiences as they occur at the six sense doors: the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, tactile organs and the mind. Of course for a beginner in the practice of vipassanā meditation it would be very difficult to follow each and every experience as they occur at the sense doors because his mindfulness, concentration, and knowledge is still weak. So the beginner is advised to begin his practice by contemplating objects that are conspicuous and easily perceivable such as the rising and falling movement of the abdomen as one breathes in and out, or the sensation involved in the sitting posture as well as the bodily touch points. Only after building up his mindfulness and concentration on these clear and conspicuous objects, making them strong and sharp, will he be able to follow the occurrence of each and every experience as it arises at the six sense doors.
But why do we contemplate the experiences at the six sense doors? It is because the purpose of practicing Satipaṭṭhāna Vipassanā meditation is to attain the cessation of suffering. And the problem of suffering begins at the six sense doors. It begins when the mind comes into contact with the world at the six sense doors. So if we are to solve the problem of suffering we must first contemplate and develop understanding of our experiences at the six sense doors.
But wouldn’t it be easier to just shut the door of our senses? Shut our eyes, cover our ears and nose, refrain from eating anything so we don’t taste, etc. This way we won’t experience anything through our senses and so there wouldn’t be a problem. Infact this is what sensory deprivation tank (also called isolation tank) was designed to do. This is a tank that is filled with salt water which is maintained at skin temperature. The salt water causes one to float on the surface of the water when one enters the tank and so one cannot feel one’s body weight. The temperature of the water being maintained at skin temperature means that one can hardly feel the water. And once one enters into the sound-proof tank the lid is close, cutting off all sound and light.
This sensory deprivation tank is used as therapy for stress relief. One research has shown that more than three quarters of 140 people who have undergone this therapy do experience some stress relief. But does it really remove the problem of suffering? We do not think so. The effect is only temporary. Once the patient gets out of the tank it would be just a matter of time before all the problems return. This is because the root cause of the problem is in the mind and how can you close the door of the mind? The tank definitely cannot do this.
Other research on sensory deprivation have also shown that some subjects begin to have hallucination after being kept in a sensory deprived state for some time. So closing the doors of our senses is not the solution to the problem of suffering. Rather what we must do is to contemplate the experiences at the sense doors to try to develop an understanding of the true nature of this problem of suffering as it arises there. Only if we can understand its true nature can we hope to solve the problem.
In Ñātika Sutta (Saṃyutta Nikāya, Nidānavagga, Nidānasaṃyutta, Sutta 45) the Buddha explains how the problem of suffering begins at the six sense doors. Taking the eye-door as an example the Buddha began by saying:
“Depending on the eye and visible-form, eye-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as a condition there is feeling”Here the eye does not mean the entire eyeball but only the physical-material in the eye that is sensitive to light, probably in the retina. When visible-form or color hits the sensitive materials in the eye, eye-consciousness arises and comes into contact with its object, the visible color. Due to this eye-contact feeling arises. So far there is no problem yet. For it is very natural that when an appropriate object hits the sensitive material at the appropriate sense-door the appropriate consciousness will arise and come into contact with the object giving rise to feeling. This is a natural process. Up to this point there is no problem.
Then after this the Buddha said:
“With feeling as a condition there is craving.”Here is where the problem begins. For craving as we have seen above is the second noble truth, the noble truth of the cause of suffering. When craving arises, right there is the problem of suffering. And so the Buddha continued:
“With craving as a condition there is clinging; with clinging as a condition there is becoming; with becoming as a condition there is birth; with birth as a condition ageing and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair come to be. Thus is the origin of this whole mass of suffering.”Clinging is just a stronger form of craving. When craving is not checked it intensifies and becomes clinging. Through clinging one begins to perform all kinds of action (kamma), wholesome and unwholesome ones, in order to acquire the object of one’s desire, to satisfy one’s craving. These actions are called kammabhava or kamma-process becoming. With the kamma performed as a condition rebirth takes place. And once there is birth there is ageing, death, sorrow, lamentation, etc. The whole mass of suffering arises.
Let us go back to the point in the process when craving arises with feeling as a condition. Why do craving arise here? According to the Buddha’s teaching craving arises because of the presence of ignorance (avijjā) in the mind. Ignorance is a mental factor that conceals the real nature of the objects that the mind experiences. At the moment of the experience of seeing, if one does not exercise mindfulness then ignorance may arise in the mind. Then under the influence of ignorance one will begin to see things in a distorted way, in a way that is not in accordance with the reality of things as they really are. That which true nature is impermanent is seen as permanent. That which true nature is suffering is seen to be pleasurable. That which true nature is non-self is seen as a self. The eye, the visible form, eye-consciousness, eye-contact, and the feeling born of eye-contact, all these are seen to be permanent, pleasurable, and as one’s self. Because of this craving arises attaching itself to what the mind perceived to be permanent, pleasurable, and as the self. And suffering results from this.
“Bhikkhus, when one does not know and see the eye as it really is, when one does not know and see visible-forms as they really are, when one does not know and see eye-consciousness as it really is, when one does not know and see eye-contact as it really is, when one does not know and see as it really is the feeling, pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant, that arises with eye-contact as a condition, then one is overcome by lust for the eye, for visible-forms, for eye-consciousness, for eye-contact, for the feeling, pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant, that arises with eye-contact as a condition.
“For one who dwells overcome by lust, fettered, deluded, contemplating enjoyment, the five aggregates subject to clinging go towards future accumulation. And his craving, which leads to renewed existence, which is accompanied by delight and lust, which finds delight here and there, increases. His bodily woes increase, his mental woes increase, his bodily torments increase, his mental torments increase, his bodily fevers increase, his mental fevers increase, and he experiences bodily and mental suffering.”
~ Mahāsaḷāyatanika Sutta (Majjhima Nikāya, Sutta 149)
Briefly we can say that because of the presence of ignorance the five aggregates subject to clinging, the noble truth of suffering, are seen in a distorted manner which is not in accordance with their true nature. Due to this distorted vision, even though they are actually impermanent, suffering, and non-self, they are perceived to be permanent, pleasurable, and as a self. This gives rise to craving or attachment, the noble truth of the cause of suffering, which latches on to them giving rise to the problem of suffering.
Here, note that even though craving arises towards all these mental and physical phenomena, it is feeling alone that the Buddha singled out as the condition for the arising of craving in the teaching of dependent-origination (Paṭiccasamuppāda). But we must not take it that the others (i.e. eyes, visible-forms, etc.) are not the conditions for craving to arise. They are. In teaching dependent-origination the Buddha single out feeling as the condition for craving because it is the main and most obvious cause for the arising of craving, not that there are no other causes.
And since feeling is the main and most obvious cause for the arising of craving, it follows that it is most important for us to contemplate feelings as they arise in our experiences. The teachers always say that it is by contemplating feelings that one can break the chain of dependent origination that leads to suffering. It is for this reason, they say, that the Buddha taught contemplation of feeling in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta. So we must pay special attention to this particular link in the chain of dependent origination: “With feeling as a condition there is craving.”
After describing (in the Ñātika Sutta) how the problem of suffering arises through the eye-door, the Buddha repeated the same description for the other five sense doors: the ears, nose, tongue, tactile-organs, and the mind. So the problem of suffering can arise in each of the six sense doors when the mind comes into contact with its object there. After this the Buddha described how there can be an end to the problem of suffering in our experiences at the six sense doors. Taking the example of the eye-door again the Buddha began by saying:
“Depending on the eye and visible-form, eye-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as a condition there is feeling; with feeling as a condition there is craving.”Up to here everything is the same as before. Then the Buddha said:
“With the complete fading away and cessation of that same craving there is the cessation of clinging.”Now hope is kindled. The Buddha now talks about the cessation of craving. What is the cessation of craving? It is the third noble truth of the cessation of suffering. Craving is the cause of suffering. With the cessation of its cause suffering will also go to cessation. And so the Buddha continued:
“With the cessation of clinging there is the cessation of becoming; with the cessation of becoming there is the cessation of birth; with the cessation of birth, ageing and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair cease. Thus is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.”The Buddha then went on to describe in the same way how suffering comes to an end in each of the other sense doors, i.e. through the complete fading away and cessation of craving.
But how do we make craving cease? Earlier we have seen that craving arise because of the presence of ignorance in the mind which conceals the true nature of the object being experienced by the mind causing one to take what is really impermanent, suffering, and non-self to be permanent, pleasurable, and as one's self. When one sees the object as permanent, pleasurable, and as one's self one will then desire the object. So, ignorance is really the root cause that gives rise to craving. Therefore, if we are to make craving cease we must overcome this ignorance? But how do we overcome ignorance? By developing the quality that is the direct opposite of ignorance: wisdom.
But here we are not talking about just any kind of wisdom. For there are many kinds of wisdom, both of the worldly and of the spiritual kinds. If we are to make the craving which is the cause of the problem of suffering cease, we must develop the wisdom that can firstly prevents and ultimately leads to the total cutting off, the complete fading away and cessation of, craving. This is the wisdom that sees into the true nature of the objects contemplated, the five aggregates subject to clinging or the mental and physical phenomena. It is the wisdom that sees them as they really are, that sees clearly and penetrates through to their true nature of impermanence, suffering, and non-self. This wisdom is what we call vipassanā wisdom. Vipassanā wisdom is the wisdom that sees the nature of impermanent, suffering, and non-self inherent in the mental and physical phenomena that are contemplated. It is here that vipassanā comes into the picture in the scheme of the Buddha’s teaching on the Four Noble Truths.
In the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta the Buddha said that the first noble truth of suffering should be fully-understood, the second noble truth of the cause of suffering should be abandoned, and the third noble truth of the cessation of suffering should be realized. By developing vipassanā wisdom one can come to fully understand the true nature of the first noble truth, the five aggregates subject to clinging, as impermanent, suffering, and non-self. This leads to the abandoning of craving, the second noble truth. When craving, the cause of suffering, is abandoned, the third noble truth, the cessation of suffering or Nibbāna is realized.
“Bhikkhus, when one knows and sees the eye as it really is, when one knows and sees visible-forms as they really are, when one knows and sees eye-consciousness as it really is, when one knows and sees eye-contact as it really is, when one knows and sees as it really is the feeling, pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant, that arises with eye-contact as a condition, then one is not overcome by lust for the eye, for visible-forms, for eye-consciousness, for eye-contact, for the feeling, pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant, that arises with eye-contact as a condition.
“For one who dwells not overcome by lust, unfettered, undeluded, contemplating danger, the five aggregates subject to clinging go towards future diminution. And his craving, which leads to renewed existence, which is accompanied by delight and lust, which finds delight here and there, is abandoned. His bodily woes are abandoned, his mental woes are abandoned, his bodily torments are abandoned, his mental torments are abandoned, his bodily fevers are abandoned, his mental fevers are abandoned, and he experiences bodily and mental pleasure.”
~ Mahāsaḷāyatanika Sutta (Majjhima Nikāya, Sutta 149)
When one is practicing Satipaṭṭhāna Vipassanā meditation all the eight factors of the Noble Eightfold Path are brought into play. Before commencing the practice one first undertake the precepts. By undertaking the precepts one establishes oneself in the training of Sīla or virtue. The path factors of right-speech, right-action, and right-livelihood are thus fulfilled. As long as the precepts are not violated one’s sīla remains intact. But during the practice of Satipaṭṭhāna Vipassanā meditation, which involves the maintaining of continuous mindfulness moment after moment throughout the day, there is hardly any opportunity for the violation of the precepts. The presence of continuous mindfulness standing guard over the doors of the senses keeps the mind pure and free from any unwholesome intention to violate the precepts. This is called indriyasaṃvara-sīla or the sīla of the restraint of the sense-faculties. But just in case there are any moment of lapse in mindfulness the yogi may re-establish his sīla again by determining in his mind to retake the precepts and to keep it intact, thus reaffirming his commitment to the precepts. In traditional settings yogis usually retake the precepts daily in the presence of their teacher.
Once sīla is established one may begin to meditate. In doing the practice one must summon up ardent energetic effort to arouse mindfulness and to direct and apply the mindfulness to contemplate the presently occurring mental and physical phenomena at the sense doors, e.g. the mental and physical phenomena involved in the rising and falling movements of the abdomen which is an experience through the body door, the tactile organs. The ardent energetic effort that one summons up is right-effort. The mindfulness that is aroused by this right-effort and which is directed towards contemplating the mental and physical phenomena is right mindfulness. The directing and applying of the right-mindfulness towards the contemplation of the mental and physical phenomena is right-thought. When, driven by right-effort, right-thought is continuously directing right-mindfulness towards the mental and physical phenomena, eventually right-mindfulness sticks to the flow of mental and physical phenomena. It settles down and becomes fixed and concentrated on the flow. This is right-concentration. When there is right-concentration the impermanent, suffering, and non-self nature of the mental and physical phenomena is clearly comprehended. This clear comprehension of the nature of the mental and physical phenomena is right-view, or more specifically, vipassanā right-view (vipassanā sammā-diṭṭhi). It is here that vipassanā comes into the picture in the Buddha's teaching of the Noble Eightfold Path.
So all the eight path factors are present during the practice of Satipaṭṭhāna Vipassanā meditation. When one is practicing Satipaṭṭhāna Vipassanā meditation one is actually developing the Noble Eightfold Path, one is actually walking on the path that leads to the cessation of suffering. If one carries out this practice to its culmination the vipassanā right-view that is developed will become matured and will result in the right-view of the path (magga sammā-diṭṭhi) and right-view of fruition (phala sammā-diṭṭhi). The path here is the supramundane path which arises at the culmination of the practice, taking Nibbāna as its object. The fruition is the moment of relishing the fruit of the path, liberation from suffering.
“Bhikkhus, the eye is impermanent. What is impermanent is suffering. What is suffering is non-self. What is non-self should be seen with right wisdom as it really is thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“The ear is impermanent… The nose is impermanent… The tongue is impermanent… The body is impermanent… The mind is impermanent. What is impermanent is suffering. What is suffering is non-self. What is non-self should be seen with right wisdom as it really is thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“Seeing thus, bhikkhus, the instructed noble disciple has revulsion towards the eye, has revulsion towards the ear, has revulsion towards the nose, has revulsion towards the tongue, has revulsion towards the body, has revulsion towards the mind. Having revulsion, he becomes dispassionate; Through dispassion [his mind] is liberated. When it is liberated there is the knowledge ‘It is liberated.’ He knows ‘Birth is exhausted, the holy life has been lived, what is to be done has been done, there is nothing more beyond this.”
~ Ajjhattānicca Sutta, Saṃyutta-Nikāya, Saḷāyatanavagga, Saḷāyatanasaṃyutta, Sutta 1
“Bhikkhus, visible-forms are impermanent. What is impermanent is suffering. What is suffering is non-self. What is non-self should be seen with right wisdom as it really is thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“Sounds are impermanent… Smells are impermanent… Tastes are impermanent… Tactile-objects are impermanent… Mind-objects are impermanent. What is impermanent is suffering. What is suffering is non-self. What is non-self should be seen with right wisdom as it really is thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
“Seeing thus, bhikkhus, the instructed noble disciple has revulsion towards visible-forms, has revulsion towards sounds, has revulsion towards smells, has revulsion towards tastes, has revulsion towards tactile-objects, has revulsion towards mind-objects. Having revulsion, he becomes dispassionate; Through dispassion [his mind] is liberated. When it is liberated there is the knowledge ‘It is liberated.’ He knows ‘Birth is exhausted, the holy life has been lived, what is to be done has been done, there is nothing more beyond this.”
~ Bāhirānicca Sutta, Saṃyutta-Nikāya, Saḷāyatanavagga, Saḷāyatanasaṃyutta, Sutta 4
Thank you bhante. I shall be referring to the Salayatana Sutta (MN149) to support some of the writings covering my assignment.
ReplyDeleteOng Guan Leong.