The gist of Buddha’s teaching---2

The gist of Buddha’s teaching---2

Bhikkhu Dhammavaro
Buddharatana Monastery of Australia


The Noble Truth of Suffering

“This is, O Bhikkhus, the Noble Truth of Suffering; birth is suffering, ageing is suffering, sickness is suffering, death is suffering, (sorrow and lamentation, pain, grief and despair are suffering,) association with the unloved one or unpleasant condition is suffering, separation from the loved one or pleasant condition is suffering, not to get what one wants is suffering - in brief, the five aggregates of attachment are suffering.”
Buddhaghosa explained ‘Dukkha’ as vile or badness, lack of long lasting, beauty, pleasure and self; therefore it has many dangers.
There are three types of sufferings: i.e., the suffering of sufferings (Dukkha dukkha), the suffering of change (Viparināma dukkha), and the suffering of formation (Sankhāra dukkha).
First, it is the suffering of the physical and mental pains we endured throughout life; second, when the change due to age or wear and tear appeared in the objects we liked, or our physical and mental states went through changes; third, that all phenomena regardless of physical or mental (animate or inanimate objects) are composed of various elements, they arise through certain cause and conditions which are all impermanent, subject to change and devoid of a self.
The Blessed One sometimes explained the suffering as twofold, i.e., physical and mental sufferings. Physical sufferings are manifold and we can relieve them to a certain extent by medicine, but the change due to ageing cannot be alleviated through medicine or exercise, people suffered as a result of these, and as such their mind suffered as well. A well trained practitioner can relieve to a great extent these sufferings through a discerning and composed mind about these changes.
In Saccavibhanga Sutta (MN III) Buddha further gave illustration to the whole mess of sufferings as:
1. Birth (Jāti) --- The birth of beings into the various forms of beings, their coming to birth, precipitation in a womb, generation, the manifestation of the aggregates, obtaining the bases for contact.
2. Aging (Jāra) --- The aging of beings in the various forms of beings, their old age, loss of teeth, graying of hairs, wrinkling of skin, decline of life, weakness of faculties.
3. Death (Marana) --- The passing of beings out of the various forms, their passing away, dissolution,, disappearance, dying, completion of time, dissolution of the aggregates, laying down of the body.
4. Sorrow (Soka) --- The sorrow, sorrowing, sorrowfulness, inner sorrow, and inner sorrowfulness of one who has encountered some misfortune or is affected by some painful state.
5. Lamentation (Parideva) --- The wail and lament, wailing and lamenting, bewailing and lamentation of one who has encountered some misfortune or is affected by some painful state.
6. Pain (Dukkha) --- Bodily pain, bodily discomfort, painful, uncomfortable feeling born of bodily contact.
7. Grief (Domanassa) --- Mental pain, mental discomfort, painful, uncomfortable feeling born of mental contact.
8. Despair (Upāyāsa) --- The trouble and despair, the tribulation and desperation of one who has encountered some misfortune or is affected by some painful state.
9. Unable to obtain the desired is suffering (yam pi iccham na labhati) --- The fact that the above situations cannot be averted by mere wishing is suffering.
10. Five aggregates of grasping (Panca upādānakkhandha) --- Physical form, feeling, perception, mental formation and consciousness affected by clinging, in short, are suffering.

The Blessed One asked his disciples: Is the changing phenomena of suffering or happiness? They replied: It is of suffering! He repeated this question again and again. Only in Nibbana that suffering is ended.

Human beings constantly seeking for security and eternity, although in the deva realm there is no sickness, but they die anyway after a very long life, life has unhappiness as one of its basic ingredients. Life may be described as the creation of God or some other mysterious cause, but certainly from a Buddhist perspective, it arises through cause and condition.

Many people misunderstood the teaching of kamma and labelled Buddhism as fatalism, this is not the case, it is the most liberal explanation about life from any source. Religion has a positive role in our life, Buddhist monks and many laity although have little, but they are generally cheerful and contented.