| Beneath the Bodhi tree the future-buddha entered four | | | | with all impermanence and suffering that distinquishes it, |
| subsequent states of meditation, and from these, he | | | | can be transcended: |
| remembered his previous lives and gained | | | | There is an island which you cannot go beyond. It is a |
| understanding of the processes of samsara that all | | | | place of nothingness, a place of non-possession and |
| forms of life are subject to. He saw that the cause of | | | | of non-attachment. It is the total end of death and |
| rebirth was ignorance which would only cease when | | | | decay, and this is why i call it Nibbana (the extinquished, |
| the need for sense-pleasures were quenched. As his | | | | the cool). |
| ignorance of the truth was dispelled he was set free, | | | | 'Kappas Question in the Sutta-Nipata' |
| and seeing things as they truly are, he became an | | | | (Saddhatissa. H, in Beckerlegge, 2001, p.349) |
| enlightened being. A Buddha. | | | | The root meaning of Nirvana, or Nibbana, is to 'blow |
| After the Buddha had singlehandedly found the path | | | | out' such as the blowing out of a fire. The word |
| that leads to freedom, he returned to his former | | | | 'skanda' means 'heap' or 'bundle' and can refer to a |
| ascetic companions and shared with them the truth | | | | bundle of wood. As already mentioned, the burning of |
| (Dharma/Damma) of his discovery, at the deer park in | | | | individuals by their desire for sense-objects has them |
| Benares. This was the setting for his first sermon | | | | caught up in samsara and a state of ever-becoming. |
| known as the Dhamma-cakka-pavattana sutta, which | | | | the skandas which constitute the self, or rather, the |
| means 'discourse on the setting in motion the wheel of | | | | no-self, can be compared to a burning bundle of wood |
| truth'. The Buddha revealed the Four Noble Truths | | | | that needs to be extinquished. And when the desires |
| concerning Dukkha/Duhkha, a word, originally sanskrit, | | | | for sense-objects are 'blown out' Nirvana is attained. |
| that can be translated as meaning 'suffering' or | | | | The fourth noble truth is the path that is to be followed |
| alternatively as 'anguish', 'unsatisfactoriness' or 'ill'. | | | | if there is to be an end of suffering. It is the practice of |
| The first noble truth is that the nature of existence, as | | | | Buddhism Itself, known as the Eight-Fold Way, which is |
| experienced by all living things is suffering. this truth | | | | often divided into three categories. |
| was the cause of the Buddha's initial agitation when he | | | | These are: |
| first encountered old age, disease, and death. | | | | A) wisdom. which includes, 1) perfect understanding |
| Everything that is born is subject to decay and death | | | | and 2) perfect resolve, which are both related to a |
| and is therefore recognized as 'Anicca', that is, | | | | correct knowledge and application of the Buddha's |
| impermanent. within samsara all are fated to suffer this | | | | teachings in the life of an individual. |
| process repeatedly, not only in this world, but also in | | | | B) morality, which includes, 3) perfect speech, that is, |
| the other various levels of existence that can be both | | | | talking in a kind and truthful manner, and 4) Perfect |
| heavenly and hellish, the destination determined by an | | | | action by dealing honestly with others and avoiding |
| individuals particular karma. Greed, Hatred, and Delusion, | | | | sense-pleasure. Also 5) perfect livelihood, that is, |
| being specific to the nature of samsara, are also | | | | earning an honest living that doesn't exploit other |
| states of suffering. | | | | human beings or cater for sense-pleasures. |
| Both dukkha and anicca are categorized as two of | | | | C) mental discipline, which includes 6) Perfect effort, |
| the 'three marks of conditioned existence', the third | | | | which is the development and maintenance of skilled |
| being 'Anatta' or 'no-self'. According to Buddhism the | | | | mental states and ridding oneself of unskilled mental |
| individual self is not really a 'self' at all but an illusionary | | | | states; 7) perfect mindfulness of the body, feelings, |
| construct of five aggregates known as Skhandhas | | | | mind and mental states, and finally 8) perfect |
| skandas. these are; 1)Rupa (form); 2) Vedana (feeling); | | | | concentration, which is to be acheived through the |
| 3) Sanna (perception); 4) Sankaras (skilled or unskilled | | | | disipline of 'Jhana', that is, meditaion... |
| actions or tendencies); and 5) Vinnana (consciousness). | | | | ...The forth noble truth is also known as the Middle |
| It is these skandas, in interaction with one another, that | | | | Way. Buddhist meditation should conform with the |
| are to be understood as being subject to samsara | | | | middle way, as reflected in the legend of the Buddha |
| rather than the individual, who does not really exist. | | | | when he positioned himself beneath the tree of |
| In a Buddhist text known as 'Milinda's Questions' the | | | | awakening. the mind needs to be balanced if the realm |
| body is likened to a chariot. Here, the monk Nagasena | | | | of extremes is to be transcended. the middle way lies |
| demonstates for the benefit of the inquiring King Milinda | | | | "between the two extremes of self-indulgence..." as |
| that as the individual parts of the 'self' do not contain | | | | reflected in the person of Siddhartha the prince, "...and |
| the 'self' within themselves, then "How can there be a | | | | self-torture" as reflected in the person of Siddhartha |
| self?", when the individual parts are viewed | | | | the emaciated ascetic (Horner, I.B, in Zaehner R.C 'ed', |
| collectively? Likewise, the seperate parts of a chariot | | | | 2001,p.271). The Hindu practice of extreme self-denial, |
| have no 'chariot' within them, so how is it that a chariot | | | | that was, and continues to be performed by ascetics |
| exists when the parts are connected? The answer is | | | | in the pursuit of Moksha/Mukti was rejected by the |
| "there is no chariot" and similarly neither is there a self. | | | | Buddha. Such overt zelousness is concidered to be |
| the 'self' is merely a convenient label of no real | | | | without true value, as is indifference towards spiritual |
| substance (Horner, I.B 'trans', in Beckerlegge, 2001, | | | | attainment. |
| p.349-51). And so, the individual is seen as anatta. | | | | However, individuals must apply themselves to the |
| The second noble truth concerns the cause, or | | | | way of the Buddha, and are encouraged to investigate |
| 'Uprising', of suffering. Dukkha is born from ignorance | | | | spiritual matters for themselves, and not blindly accept |
| and perpetuated through our desire for | | | | what a prestigious teacher may claim, out of respect. It |
| sense-pleasures. Existence is perceived as a series of | | | | is when you know the truth yourself, that it is to be |
| conditions that function within a wheel of cause and | | | | accepted (Woodward, F.L 'trans', 'Kalama Sutta' in |
| effect known as Paticcasamuppada, which means | | | | Beckerlegge, 2001, p.348). Also, the monastic lifestyle |
| 'Dependent Origination' or 'Conditional Arising'. It is all | | | | can be viewed as embodying the principle of the |
| wrong desires that keep the wheel turning. As all | | | | middle way. For two and a half millennia it has |
| wrong desires have adverse causes, they also have | | | | remained the prefered enviroment conducive to the |
| adverse effects, which in turn become causes of | | | | attainment of Nirvana. Harvey observes that it lies |
| more forms of suffering. The Buddha regarded | | | | between the extremes of a reclusive existence and |
| individuals to be 'on fire' through their attachment to | | | | the life of a brahmanic householder. |
| objects of desire (Horner, I.B 'trans', in Beckerlegge, | | | | Concerning the four noble truths, cousins tells us that |
| 2001, p.344). In feeding the flames of the senses, we | | | | the first truth is to be 'fully comprehended'; the second |
| perpetuate the false belief that we are real, and as | | | | is to be 'abandoned'; the third is to be 'made visible'; the |
| we persist in 'Ever-Becoming' samsara retains its | | | | fourth is to be 'brought into being'. |
| awful hold: | | | | It is for the transformation from a negative to a |
| If this is, that comes to be; | | | | positive state that the path of Buddhism is the be |
| From the arising of this, that arise; | | | | followed. It requires the rejection of what is unskilful |
| However; | | | | and the cultivation of what is skillful, such as generosity, |
| If this is not, that does not come to be; | | | | compassion for all beings, and wisdom (the opposites |
| From the stopping of this, that is stopped | | | | of greed, hatred, and delusion mentioned above). It is a |
| 'Majjhima-Nikaya 2.32' | | | | path that leads to calm, balance and detatchment from |
| (Horner, B.I 'trans', in Zaehner, R.C, 'ed', 2001, p.277) | | | | desire, and the indescribable Nirvana that awaits |
| With the third noble truth the Dharma of Buddhism | | | | beyond. |
| makes the transition from darkness to light as it | | | | Bibliography |
| reveals, optimistically, that there is an end to suffering. | | | | Beckerlegge, Gwilym (Ed), 2001 'The world Religions |
| By dispelling ignorance and quenching the flames of | | | | Reader. |
| sense-desire, the realm of conditional existence, along | | | | |