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THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS 四圣谛 (CATTARI ARIYA SACCANI)

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The Four Noble Truths - Cattari Ariya Saccani (Samyutta Nikaya 56:11 - Dhammacakkapavatthana Sutta)

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1ST NOBLE TRUTH - WHAT IS DUKKHA (DUKKHA ARIYA-SACCA)

 

  • Birth

  • Aging

  • Death

  • Sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair

  • Association with what is unloved

  • Separation from what is loved

  • Not getting what is wanted

 

In short, the craving, clinging and attachment to the 5 Khanda (Aggregates) lead to Dukkha.

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It is important to know what is the definition of Dukkha, as most people have the distorted mentality, not knowing that the worldly pleasures are in fact traps leading to future suffering.

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The Five Aggregates

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The Five Aggregates (Samyutta Nikaya 22:48 - Khandha Sutta)

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Attached (Sammyutta Nikaya 22:53 - Upaya Sutta)


The Six Properties (Majjhima Nikaya 140 - Dhatu-Vibhanga Sutta)

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The Six Sense Media (Majjhima Nikaya 137 - Salayatana-Vibhanga Sutta)

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The Great Discourse On The Six Sense-Media (Majjhima Nikaya 149 - Maha-Salayatanika Sutta)


The Six Sextets (Majjhima Nikaya 148 - Chachakka Sutta)

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The Fire Sermon (Samyutta Nikaya 35:28 - Adittapariyaya Sutta)

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2ND NOBLE TRUTH - THE ORIGINATION OF DUKKHA (DUKKHA-SAMUDAYA ARIYA-SACCA)

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The Law Of Dependent Origination (Samyutta Nikaya 12:2 - Paticca Samuppada Vibhanga Sutta)


The Great Discourse On Causes (Digha Nikaya 15 - Maha-Nidana Sutta)

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Prerequisites (Samyutta Nikaya 12:23 Upanisa Sutta)

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3RD NOBLE TRUTH - THE CESSATION OF DUKKHA (DUKKHA-NIRODHA ARIYA-SACCA)

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Thirty-Seven Requisites For Awakening (Samyutta Nikaya 22:101 - Nava Sutta)

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The Four Noble Truths - Cattari Ariya Saccani (Samyutta Nikaya 56:11 - Dhammacakkapavatthana Sutta)

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The Four Great Efforts : Padhana (Samyutta Nikaya 45:8 - Magga-Vibhanga Sutta)


The Four Bases Of Power : Iddhipada (Samyutta Nikaya 51:20 - Iddhipada Vibhanga Sutta)


The Five Mental Faculties : Indriya (Samyutta Nikaya 48:10 - Indriya Vibhanga Sutta)


The Five Strengths : Bala (Samyutta Nikaya 50:1)


The Seven Factors For Awakening : Bojjhanga (Samyutta Nikaya 46:1 - Himavanta Sutta)

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The Noble Eightfold Path : Ariya Atthangika Magga (Samyutta Nikaya 45:8 - Magga Vibhanga Sutta)

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4TH NOBLE TRUTH - THE PATH TO THE CESSATION OF DUKKHA (DUKKHA-NIRODHA-GAMINI-PATIPADA ARIYA-SACCA)

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The Noble Eightfold Path : Ariya Atthangika Magga (Samyutta Nikaya 45:8 - Magga Vibhanga Sutta)

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​Magga-vibhaṅga Sutta (In Pali & English)

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THE NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH ARIYA ATTHANGIKA MAGGA 八正道

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1) Samma-Ditthi 正見解 (Right Understanding, commonly translated as Right View)

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Understanding:

  • Dukkha

  • The origination of Dukkha

  • The cessation of Dukkha

  • The path leading to the cessation of Dukkha

  • Understanding the Paticca-Samuppada

  • Understanding unwholesome mental states: Ill-will, aversion, greed, lust

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Most people do not realize the importance of Samma-Ditthi.

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The Buddha emphasized that Samma-Ditthi is the forerunner of the Buddhist practice. Without Samma-Ditthi, anything else that we do will not lead us to Nibbana.

Just as the other spiritual practitioners during the Buddha's time, despite their spiritual attainments, could not attain Nibbana as they lacked Samma-Ditthi.

One of the definitions of Samma-Ditthi as mentioned by the Buddha:

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"Understanding dukkha, how dukkha arises & ceases, and the practice of ceasing dukkha"

 

In other words, understanding Paticca-Samuppada is the core of Samma-Ditthi.

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Right Understanding Is Of Utmost Importance (Majjhima Nikaya 9 - Samma-Ditthi Sutta)

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The Great Forty (Majjhima Nikaya 117 - Maha-Cattarisika Sutta)

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2) Samma-Sankappa 正思惟 (Right Intention, commonly translated as Right Thought)

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  • Nekkhamma : Renunciation of worldly pleasures, and altruism. This is opposed to unwholesome desires & attachment.

  • Metta : Loving-kindness, good-will towards all sentient beings; as opposed to ill-will, aversion & hatred.

  • Ahimsa : Non-aggression, as opposed to cruelty and aggressive behavious..

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3) Samma-Vacca 正語言 (Right Speech)

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Abstaining from:

  • Untrue speech (Lies and information being told as if it is the truth)

  • Divisive speech (Speech with the intention to create quarrels and disharmony)

  • Harsh speech (Insults, personal attacks etc)

  • Idle speech (Gossips)

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4) Samma-Kammanta 正行為 (Right Action)

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Abstaining from:

  • Killing

  • Stealing

  • Sexual misconduct

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5) Samma-Ajiva 正生活 (Right Livelihood)

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Avoid jobs related to:

  • Weapons production

  • Human slavery

  • Breeding of animals for slaughter / slaughtering animals per se

  • Intoxicants such as drugs and alcohol

  • Poisons

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6) Samma-Vayama 正精進 (Right Perseverance, commonly translated as Right Effort)

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  • Prevent unwholesome qualities yet to arise

  • Reduce and eliminate unwholesome qualities that has arisen

  • Promote wholesome qualities yet to arise

  • Maintain wholesome qualities that has arisen

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7) Samma-Sati 正意念 (Right Reference, commonly translated as Right Mindfulness)

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The 4 Satipatthana (4 Frames Of References)

  • Body

  • Feeling

  • Mind

  • Dhamma

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8) Samma-Samadhi 正禪定 (Right Absorption, commonly translated as Right Concentration)

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  • The 1st Jhana

  • The 2nd Jhana

  • The 3rd Jhana

  • The 4th Jhana

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ANICCA (IMPERMANENCE)

 

Anicca is not simply knowing that nothing lasts forever. It is understanding the existence of all conditioned fabrications are dues to the coming together of various conditions leading to its existence. And not just applying to physical manifestation, it also applies to thoughts, emotions and mental concepts.

And to do so is through understanding the Paticca-Samuppada.

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Impermanence (Samyutta Nikaya 36:9 Anicca Sutta)

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The Lion Discourse on Impermanence (Samyutta Nikaya 22:78 - Anicca Siha Sutta)

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ANATTA / ANATMAN (NOT-SELF)

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One must be clear that the Buddha never taught the concept of "no-self" or "no-soul". Modern Buddhism has been teaching something that the Buddha himself did not teach. In fact, Anatta is correctly translated as "not-self" and not "no-self". The Pali word for "no-self" is Natthatta, and not Anatta.

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In the Sutta, whenever the Buddha is explaining Anatta, it is always as follow:

  1. Nama-rupa is not Atman,

  2. Vedana is not Atman,

  3. Sanna is not Atman,

  4. Sankhara is not Atman,

  5. Vinnana is not Atman.

 

In short, the 5 Khanda are not Atman.

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The Buddha is telling us that none of the 5 Khanda is Atman, but he did not say that there is no Atman.

If there was no "Atman", the Buddha would have simply said "There is no Atman".

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​Moreover, the Buddha also taught:

Attadipa = Atta/Atman (Self) is our light:
Attasarana = Atta/Atman (Self) is our refuge.

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The Discourse On Anatta (Samyutta Nikaya 22:59 - Anatta-Lakkhana Sutta)

​Anatta-lakkhaṇa Sutta (In Pali & English)

Discourse to Yamaka (Samyutta Nikaya 22:85 - Yamaka Sutta)

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SUNNATA (EMPTINESS)

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Do note that Sunnata, often translated as "emptiness", does not mean "nothingness" or "void".

Sunnata means that conditioned fabrications are without an unchanging core, simply the coming together of various conditions leading to its existance.

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The Discourse On Sunna (Samyutta Nikaya 35:85 - Sunna Sutta)


The Short Discourse On Sunnata (Majjhima Nikaya 121 - Cula-Sunnata Sutta)


The Great Discourse On Sunnata (Majjhima Nikaya 122 - Maha-Sunnata Sutta)

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因果 VS 因緣

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There have been disputes regarding the terms "karma & vipaka" due to various translations.

The issue is usually with the Chinese translation 因果 and 因緣. 因果 is understood as "cause & effect", while 因緣 is translated as "cause and conditions".

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In English, "karma & vipaka" is commonly understood as "cause & effect". The term "Phala" is sometimes used instead of "Vipaka". Phala is translated as "fruition", thus the 果 in 因果 is more accurately understood as "fruition".

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The problem is with the narrow minded perspective. In the wider perspective, there is actually no problem at all. The effect of a cause is the cause of another effect. One only needs to understand that it is not an end in itself.

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The end of a chain is the beginning of another. As such, it is neither deterministic nor fatalistic.

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Karma is often mistranslated and misunderstood, especially in the West. Karma is not the result of your action. Karma is your volition in action.

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Your intentions can be manifested as thoughts, speech or actions, and an authentic intention can be understood as "action without selfish motive", meaning that your actions should be aligned with the flow of the nature, without any selfish motives, without forcing your way and going against nature.

 

Do what you can that is within your own control, and leave what is beyond your control to nature. Do what is required and possible at that point of time, yet not having expectations to the results.

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It is emphasized the one should do what is needed, and not having any expectations the results of your actions, not expecting recognition, not expecting any reciprocation.

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When you do a good deed while hoping that you get something good out of it, you are actually doing "good" out of greed.

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​Karma is often translated as "action", but more importantly, is the driving force of the action, which is the intention.

 

For example, to others you may be doing a good deed, but if your intention was founded on selfish or malicious motives, then the Karma is negative instead of positive. And vice versa.

 

Sometimes, the result is not what we expected, but the intention is always within our control.

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