What the Buddha Taught?

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What the Buddha Taught?

• December 6th, 2008

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Agenda

• The story of the Buddhas life
• What did Buddha teach?
• The four noble truths
• The teaching of the four noble truths
• Why did Buddha teach the 4 noble truths?
• The core teachings of the four noble truths
• How is the teaching related to other teachings of
  the Buddha?
• How do we use the teachings of the noble truths
  in our daily lives?
• Discussion

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Buddhas life
Phase 2 Seeking for the enlightenment The
wanderers life
Phase 3 The awakened one and the teachings The
awakened life
Phase 1 Before going forth to homelessness The
prince life .
Before age 29
Age 29 - 35
Age 35 - 80
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What did the Buddha Taught?The Four Noble Truths
One of the earliest and first set of teachings
taught by the Buddha
The 2nd Noble Truth Samudaya, origin There is a
cause to this un-satisfaction in life
The 4th Noble Truth Nirodha-gamini patipada, the
way leading the ending There is a way to end
the suffering
cause
cause
effect
The 3rd Noble Truth Nirodha, ending There is an
ending of this un-satisfaction in life
effect
The 1st Noble Truth Dukkha, suffering There is
un-satisfaction in life
Moving towards happiness, if one practices the
way
Staying in suffering, if one is ignorant of the
way
The four noble truths ???? Suffering, the cause
of suffering, cessation, and the path to the
ending of suffering ? Dukkha (translation
Stress, Suffering, non-satisfaction) ? Samudaya
(translation Origin, cause) ? Nirodha
(translation cessation, end) ? Nirodha-gamini
patipada (translation the way leading to
cessation)

• Why noble truths -- They are truths known
• and penetrated by the nobles ones
• Why the teachings of the four noble truths
• For the purification of all beings, for the
  ending
• of suffering of all beings, Buddha taught the
  four
• noble truths out of compassion to all beings
• Why do we study the four noble truths -- For
• ending of our own sufferings, For the
• purification of all beings

This is where all non-enlightened beings are at
currently
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The first noble truth -- Dukkha

• Dukkha
• Comes from the words that have a sense of bad,
  empty, non lasting, and imperfection
• Often translated as suffering. There are 3
  kinds of suffering
• Dukkha-Dukkha Ordinary suffering, such as
  illness, age, death, .
• Viparinama-Dukkha Impermanence
• Samkhara-Dukkha Conditioned-ness
• What are the kinds of Dukkha do we experience in
  our daily lives?
• Power, money, land, women, .
• In the ancient teachings, Buddha talked about 12
  kinds of Dukkha (SN 56.11)
• Birth is stressful, aging is stressful, death is
  stressful sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress,
  despair are stressful association with the
  unbeloved is stressful, separation from the loved
  is stressful, not getting what is wanted is
  stressful. In short, the five clinging-aggregates
  are stressful
• Birth (includes becoming, forming) the basis of
  all kinds of suffering
• Aging (gray, brokenness) maturing of 5
  aggregates, and leading to death
• Death fall, disjoin, the basis for suffering
• Sorrow burning in the mind, consuming the mind,
  like a poisoned dart that penetrates ones heart
  (intrinsic suffering)
• Lamentation crying out loud, proclaiming
  virtues. This is a state of suffering due to
  formations and is a basis for suffering. It is a
  state after sorrow, its like being hit by the
  dart and then crying out loud.
• Pain Bodily pain, can cause grief in the
  foolish. Have bodily afflictions.
• Grief Mental pain. It can distress the mind and
  is intrinsically suffering

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The second noble truth -- Samudaya

• Samudaya the origin, the cause of suffering.
• In short, the Buddha taught that thirst or
  craving is the root cause of all suffering.
• MN 141 "And what, friends, is the noble truth of
  the origination of stress? The craving that makes
  for further becoming accompanied by passion
  delight, relishing now here now there i.e.,
  craving for sensuality, craving for becoming,
  craving for non-becoming.
• Sensual desire or thirst for sensual pleasures
• Thirst for becoming and existence
• Thirst for non-becoming, non-existence
• In longer version, the Buddha taught a chain of
  dependent origination as the cause of suffering,
  i.e., the 12 dependent origination.
• With ignorance as condition, the kamma
  formations with kamma formations as condition
  consciousness with consciousness as condition,
  mentality-materiality with mentality-materiality
  as condition the sixfold sense base with the
  sixfold sense base as condition, contact with
  contact as condition, feeling with feeling as
  condition, craving with craving as condition,
  clinging with clinging as condition, existence
  with existence as condition, birth with birth as
  condition, aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation,
  pain, grief, and despair arise. Such is the
  origination of this entire mass of suffering.
• 12 dependent origination (SN 12.23)
• 1. Ignorance (avijja)2. Kamma
  formations (sankhara)3. Consciousness
  (viññana)4. Mentality-materiality (namarupa)5.
  Sixfold sense base (salayatana)6. Contact
  (phassa)7. Feeling (vedana)8. Craving
  (tanha)9. Clinging (upadana)10. Existence
  (bhava)11. Birth (jati)12. Suffering (dukkha)
• What do we think the causes of the suffering for
  ourselves are?

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The third noble truth -- Nirodha

• Nirodha (also Nirvana, Nibbana)
• Cessation of the origination of the suffering and
  hence cessation of the suffering, extinction of
  thirst
• Its beyond languages capacity to describe it,
  so Buddha often talked about Nirvana in terms of
  what it is not
• MN 141 "And what, friends, is the noble truth of
  the cessation of stress? The remainderless fading
  cessation, renunciation, relinquishment,
  release, letting go of that very craving.
• "Among whatever qualities there may be,
  fabricated or un-fabricated, the quality of
  dispassion the subduing of intoxication, the
  elimination of thirst, the uprooting of
  attachment, the breaking of the round, the
  destruction of craving, dispassion, cessation,
  the realization of Unbinding is considered
  supreme. Those who have confidence in the quality
  of dispassion have confidence in what is supreme
  and for those with confidence in the supreme,
  supreme is the result.
• "This is peace, this is exquisite the stilling
  of all fabrications, the relinquishment of all
  acquisitions, the ending of craving, dispassion,
  cessation, Unbinding."
• "From the remainderless fading cessation of
  that very ignorance, there no longer exists the
  sense of the body on account of which that
  pleasure pain internally arise. There no longer
  exists the speech... the intellect on account of
  which that pleasure pain internally arise.
  There no longer exists the field, the site, the
  dimension, or the issue on account of which that
  pleasure pain internally arise.
• Cessation is considered to be
• Non-conditioned
• Nibbana, an apprehend-able by noble ones
• When do we have a sense of contentment in life,
  how does that feel like?

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The fourth noble truth -- Nirodha-gamini
patipada, Magga

• The way leading to the cessation of Dukkha,
  Magga, the path
• It is also often referred to as the middle way,
  i.e., not taking the extremes of self-indulgence
  or self-deprivation
• Buddha taught many different variations of the
  way, e.g.,
• The framework of Virtue, Concentration and Wisdom
  (Sila, Samadhi, and Panna)
• The four foundations of mindfulness (cattaro
  satipatthana)
• Mindfulness of body, feelings, mind, dharma
• The four right efforts (cattaro sammappadhana)
• Avoid, abandon, cultivate, and sustain
• The four bases for spiritual power (cattaro
  iddhipada)
• Desire, energy, mind, investigation
• The five spiritual faculties (panca indriyani)
• Faith, effort, mindfulness, concentration, wisdom
• The five powers (panca balani)
• Faith, effort, mindfulness, concentration, wisdom
• The seven factors of enlightenment (satta
  bojjhanga)
• Mindfulness, investigation, effort, rapture,
  tranquility, concentration, equanimity
• The noble eight-fold path (ariya atthangika
  magga) is the most comprehensive path
• "And this, monks, is the noble truth of the way
  of practice leading to the cessation of dukkha
  precisely this Noble Eightfold Path
• right view

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The Noble Eight-Fold Path -- Ariya atthangika
magga

• The 8-fold noble path
• Right view (sammaditthi)
• Right view is an experience wisdom or insights
  gained from the experience
• The experience/insights are the 4 noble truths
• Mundane right view is knowledge and supramundane
  is insights
• Right intention (sammasankappa)
• Right speech (sammavaca)
• Right action (sammakammanta)
• Right livelihood (samma-ajiva)
• Right Effort (sammavayama)
• Right mindfulness (sammasati)
• Right concentration (sammasamadhi)
• 4 Jhanas

• What is the right view?
• The experience knowledge of the 4 noble truths
  
• Suffering,?
• Cause of the suffering,?
• Cessation of the suffering,?
• The way leading to the cessation of the
  suffering,?

Nibbana
?
Guided by the right view one strive with the
practice of Sila

• Virtue
• Bodily
• Verbal
• Mind

?
With virtue being the ground, one strives to
apply mindfulness

• The 4 right efforts
• Avoid
• Abandon
• Cultivate
• Sustain

• The 4 found. mindfulness
• Body
• Feelings
• Mind
• Dharma

Bearing fruits of effort and mindfulness, one
abides in Jhanas
?
The 4 Jhanas Five Jhana factors applied and
sustain thoughts, rapture, happiness, one
pointed-ness
When right mindfulness and concentration reach
perfection, right view matures into insights,
i.e., the 4 noble truths, and one enters into
nibbana.
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The core teachings of the four noble truths

• Suffering
• The five clinging aggregates
• Six sense basis
• Elements
• 18 spheres
• Cause/Origin of suffering
• The 12 dependent origination
• Craving
• Kamma
• Cessation of suffering
• Nibbana
• The path to the cessation of suffering
• 8 fold noble path

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The Four Noble Truths and Our Daily Lives

• Knowing of the suffering
• Knowing of the disappearance of suffering
• Knowing the causality of the phenomenon
• Knowing the practice and practice

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References and Backup
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The Four Noble Truths

• The two systems covered by the four noble truths
• Cause and effects
• The origin of suffering (cause) leads to
  suffering (effect)
• The path to cessation (cause) leads to cessation
  (effect)
• Skillful and unskillful
• The origin of suffering, i.e., craving, is
  unskillful and leads to suffering, the unskillful
  effect
• The path to cessation is skillful, and leads to
  ending of suffering, cessation, the skillful
  effect
• How are the four noble truths to be studied?
• Sutra SN 56.11 Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta,
  Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion
• http//www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn56/sn
  56.011.than.html

Round 1 -- Knowing Round 2 Doing/Practicing Round 3 -- Confirming
Suffering this is the noble truth of suffering this noble truth of suffering is to be comprehended this noble truth of suffering has been comprehended
Origin this is the noble truth of the origination of the suffering this noble truth of the origination of the suffering is to be abandoned this noble truth of the origination of suffering has been abandoned
Cessation this is the noble truth of cessation this noble truth of cessation is to be directly experienced this noble truth of cessation has been directly experienced
The way leading to cessation this is the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering this noble truth of the way leading to cessation of suffering is to be developed this noble truth of the way leading to cessation of suffering has been developed
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SN 56.11 Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, Setting
the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion

• I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One
  was staying at Varanasi in the Game Refuge at
  Isipatana. There he addressed the group of five
  monks
• "There are these two extremes that are not to be
  indulged in by one who has gone forth. Which two?
  That which is devoted to sensual pleasure with
  reference to sensual objects base, vulgar,
  common, ignoble, unprofitable and that which is
  devoted to self-affliction painful, ignoble,
  unprofitable. Avoiding both of these extremes,
  the middle way realized by the Tathagata
  producing vision, producing knowledge leads to
  calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to
  Unbinding.
• "And what is the middle way realized by the
  Tathagata that producing vision, producing
  knowledge leads to calm, to direct knowledge,
  to self-awakening, to Unbinding? Precisely this
  Noble Eightfold Path right view, right resolve,
  right speech, right action, right livelihood,
  right effort, right mindfulness, right
  concentration. This is the middle way realized by
  the Tathagata that producing vision, producing
  knowledge leads to calm, to direct knowledge,
  to self-awakening, to Unbinding.
• "Now this, monks, is the noble truth of stress1
  Birth is stressful, aging is stressful, death is
  stressful sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress,
  despair are stressful association with the
  unbeloved is stressful, separation from the loved
  is stressful, not getting what is wanted is
  stressful. In short, the five clinging-aggregates
  are stressful.
• "And this, monks, is the noble truth of the
  origination of stress the craving that makes for
  further becoming accompanied by passion
  delight, relishing now here now there i.e.,
  craving for sensual pleasure, craving for
  becoming, craving for non-becoming.
• "And this, monks, is the noble truth of the
  cessation of stress the remainderless fading
  cessation, renunciation, relinquishment, release,
  letting go of that very craving.
• "And this, monks, is the noble truth of the way
  of practice leading to the cessation of stress
  precisely this Noble Eightfold Path right view,
  right resolve, right speech, right action, right
  livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness,
  right concentration.

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• "Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose,
  knowledge arose, illumination arose within me
  with regard to things never heard before 'This
  is the noble truth of stress'... 'This noble
  truth of stress is to be comprehended'... 'This
  noble truth of stress has been comprehended.'
• "Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose,
  knowledge arose, illumination arose within me
  with regard to things never heard before 'This
  is the noble truth of the origination of
  stress'... 'This noble truth of the origination
  of stress is to be abandoned' 2 ... 'This noble
  truth of the origination of stress has been
  abandoned.'
• "Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose,
  knowledge arose, illumination arose within me
  with regard to things never heard before 'This
  is the noble truth of the cessation of stress'...
  'This noble truth of the cessation of stress is
  to be directly experienced'... 'This noble truth
  of the cessation of stress has been directly
  experienced.'
• "Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose,
  knowledge arose, illumination arose within me
  with regard to things never heard before 'This
  is the noble truth of the way of practice leading
  to the cessation of stress'... 'This noble truth
  of the way of practice leading to the cessation
  of stress is to be developed'... 'This noble
  truth of the way of practice leading to the
  cessation of stress has been developed.' 3
• "And, monks, as long as this knowledge vision
  of mine with its three rounds twelve
  permutations concerning these four noble truths
  as they actually are present was not pure, I
  did not claim to have directly awakened to the
  right self-awakening unexcelled in the cosmos
  with its devas, Maras, Brahmas, with its
  contemplatives priests, its royalty
  commonfolk. But as soon as this knowledge
  vision of mine with its three rounds twelve
  permutations concerning these four noble truths
  as they actually are present was truly pure,
  then I did claim to have directly awakened to the
  right self-awakening unexcelled in the cosmos
  with its devas, Maras Brahmas, with its
  contemplatives priests, its royalty
  commonfolk. Knowledge vision arose in me
  'Unprovoked is my release. This is the last
  birth. There is now no further becoming.'"
• That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the
  group of five monks delighted at his words. And
  while this explanation was being given, there
  arose to Ven. Kondañña the dustless, stainless
  Dhamma eye Whatever is subject to origination is
  all subject to cessation.

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• And when the Blessed One had set the Wheel of
  Dhamma in motion, the earth devas cried out "At
  Varanasi, in the Game Refuge at Isipatana, the
  Blessed One has set in motion the unexcelled
  Wheel of Dhamma that cannot be stopped by priest
  or contemplative, deva, Mara or God or anyone in
  the cosmos." On hearing the earth devas' cry, the
  devas of the Four Kings' Heaven took up the
  cry... the devas of the Thirty-three... the Yama
  devas... the Tusita devas... the Nimmanarati
  devas... the Paranimmita-vasavatti devas... the
  devas of Brahma's retinue took up the cry "At
  Varanasi, in the Game Refuge at Isipatana, the
  Blessed One has set in motion the unexcelled
  Wheel of Dhamma that cannot be stopped by priest
  or contemplative, deva, Mara, or God or anyone at
  all in the cosmos.
• "So in that moment, that instant, the cry shot
  right up to the Brahma worlds. And this
  ten-thousand fold cosmos shivered quivered
  quaked, while a great, measureless radiance
  appeared in the cosmos, surpassing the effulgence
  of the devas.
• Then the Blessed One exclaimed "So you really
  know, Kondañña? So you really know?" And that is
  how Ven. Kondañña acquired the name Añña-Kondañña
  Kondañña who knows.

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Dukkha MN 141 Saccavibhanga Sutra, An Analysis
of the Truths

• "Now what, friends, is the noble truth of stress?
  Birth is stressful, aging is stressful, death is
  stressful sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress,
  despair are stressful association with the
  unbeloved is stressful separation from the loved
  is stressful not getting what is wanted is
  stressful. In short, the five clinging-aggregates
  are stressful.
• "And what is birth? Whatever birth, taking birth,
  descent, coming-to-be, coming-forth, appearance
  of aggregates, acquisition of sense spheres
  of the various beings in this or that group of
  beings, that is called birth.
• "And what is aging? Whatever aging, decrepitude,
  brokenness, graying, wrinkling, decline of
  life-force, weakening of the faculties of the
  various beings in this or that group of beings,
  that is called aging.
• "And what is death? Whatever deceasing, passing
  away, breaking up, disappearance, dying, death,
  completion of time, break up of the aggregates,
  casting off of the body, interruption in the life
  faculty of the various beings in this or that
  group of beings, that is called death.
• "And what is sorrow? Whatever sorrow, sorrowing,
  sadness, inward sorrow, inward sadness of anyone
  suffering from misfortune, touched by a painful
  thing, that is called sorrow.
• "And what is lamentation? Whatever crying,
  grieving, lamenting, weeping, wailing,
  lamentation of anyone suffering from misfortune,
  touched by a painful thing, that is called
  lamentation.
• "And what is pain? Whatever is experienced as
  bodily pain, bodily discomfort, pain or
  discomfort born of bodily contact, that is called
  pain.
• "And what is distress? Whatever is experienced as
  mental pain, mental discomfort, pain or
  discomfort born of mental contact, that is called
  distress.
• "And what is despair? Whatever despair,
  despondency, desperation of anyone suffering from
  misfortune, touched by a painful thing, that is
  called despair.

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MN 141 An Analysis of the Truths (Contd)

• "And what is the stress of association with the
  unbeloved? There is the case where undesirable,
  unpleasing, unattractive sights, sounds, aromas,
  flavors, or tactile sensations occur to one or
  one has connection, contact, relationship,
  interaction with those who wish one ill, who wish
  for one's harm, who wish for one's discomfort,
  who wish one no security from the yoke. This is
  called the stress of association with the
  unbeloved.
• "And what is the stress of separation from the
  loved? There is the case where desirable,
  pleasing, attractive sights, sounds, aromas,
  flavors, or tactile sensations do not occur to
  one or one has no connection, no contact, no
  relationship, no interaction with those who wish
  one well, who wish for one's benefit, who wish
  for one's comfort, who wish one security from the
  yoke, nor with one's mother, father, brother,
  sister, friends, companions, or relatives. This
  is called the stress of separation from the
  loved.
• "And what is the stress of not getting what is
  wanted? In beings subject to birth, the wish
  arises, 'O, may we not be subject to birth, and
  may birth not come to us.' But this is not to be
  achieved by wanting. This is the stress of not
  getting what is wanted. In beings subject to
  aging... illness... death... sorrow, lamentation,
  pain, distress, despair, the wish arises, 'O,
  may we not be subject to aging... illness...
  death... sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress,
  despair, and may aging... illness... death...
  sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, despair
  not come to us.' But this is not to be achieved
  by wanting. This is the stress of not getting
  what is wanted.
• "And what are the five clinging-aggregates that,
  in short, are stressful? The clinging-aggregate
  of form, the clinging-aggregate of feeling, the
  clinging-aggregate of perception, the
  clinging-aggregate of fabrications, the
  clinging-aggregate of consciousness These are
  called the five clinging-aggregates that, in
  short, are stressful.
• "This, friends, is called the noble truth of
  stress.

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The 12 dependent origination

• 1 phase view of the 12 links
• This 12 links are operating here and now in this
  very life, causing the world of suffering
• 2 phase view of the 12 links
• This 12 links are operating in the past life and
  causing future rebirth
• 3 phase view of the 12 links
• This 12 links are broken down into past, present,
  and future lives
• How are we supposed to use this in our practices?
  
• Follow the supra-mundane path
• Use mindfulness to clarify the mind and weaken
  the ignorance

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The second noble truth -- Samudaya

• 12 dependent origination (SN 12.23)
• Mundane Order
• 1. Ignorance (avijja)2. Kamma
  formations (sankhara)3. Consciousness
  (viññana)4. Mentality-materiality (namarupa)5.
  Sixfold sense base (salayatana)6. Contact
  (phassa)7. Feeling (vedana)8. Craving
  (tanha)9. Clinging (upadana)10. Existence
  (bhava)11. Birth (jati)12. Suffering (dukkha)

Transcendental Order 1. Faith (saddha)2.
Joy (pamojja)3. Rapture (piti)4. Tranquillity
(passaddhi)5. Happiness (sukha)6. Concentration
(samadhi)7. Knowledge and vision of things as
they are (yathabhutañanadassana)8.
Disenchantment (nibbida)9. Dispassion
(viraga)10. Emancipation (vimutti)11. Knowledge
of destruction of the cankers
(asavakkhaye ñana)