Four Noble Facts– Suffering And Its Removal

January 6, 2019 Intro 1. The First Noble Fact is about the

• suffering that can be eliminated from occurring. The second describes how suffering emerges, due to our own cravings(which we manifest by means of our own saṅkhāra that we generate voluntarily, as we have discussed; see,”Sankhāra– What It Really Means”). I will write a simpler variation in the next post.
• The Third Noble Fact states that future suffering can be visited eliminating those cravings. That NEEDS and understanding of the wider world view of the Buddha with the rebirth process within the 31 worlds.
• The Forth Noble Fact is the way to acquire that understanding by “discovering and living” that Dhammā (by following the Noble Eightfold Path).

2. The Buddha stated, “my Dhammā has not been known in this world. This Dhammā has actually never ever been heard of previously”.

• What is brand-new about knowing that there is suffering around us? Everybody knows that there is suffering with aging, diseases, hardship, etc. One does not have to be a Buddhist to see that.
• So, we need to find out “what is new” about suffering that is described in the First Noble Truth.

The First Noble Fact– What is Suffering

3. I have gone over the First Noble Truth in the post, “Essence of Buddhism– In the First Sutta”. Summary:

“Birth is suffering, getting old is suffering, getting ill is suffering, passing away is suffering. Having to connect with things that a person does not like is suffering and needing to separate from those things one likes is suffering. If one does not get what one likes (iccha), that is suffering– Doing worldly activities (samkittena) to get all those things one craves for (pancupādānakkhandha) is suffering.

• There is a deeper significance in the part, “If one does not get what one likes (iccha), that is suffering “, that is linked to the anicca nature.
• That much deeper significance is expressed in terms of taṇhā (craving) is revealed in the last part, “Doing worldly activities (samkittena) to get all those things one craves for (pancupādānakkhandha) is suffering.”

4. Simply as in science, something comes about due to causes. Our present life as a human has actually come about due to causes (kamma) done in the past. A few of those were “excellent kamma” and that is why we can take pleasure in some pleasures. Bad kamma have resulted in circumstances of suffering.

• But there are lower worlds, consisting of the animal world, where suffering is much greater. Bad kamma cause such births.
• Suffering in the 4 least expensive realms is the genuine suffering. That is what we first require to focus on.
• And all that suffering arises due to the fact that we crave for things in this world since of our avijjā (not understanding the 4 Noble Realities).

5. Seeing this covert suffering is undoubtedly difficult. When the Buddha obtained the Buddhahood, it said that he was worried whether he could communicate this deep ideas to most people.

• We seek enjoyments that are highly noticeable. However if we get such enjoyments with immoral acts, the effects of such immoral acts are not apparent. We can see a stone thrown up coming down, however we can not see any bad effects to the drug dealer who appears to be taking pleasure in life.

The 2nd Noble Truth– Causes for Future Suffering

6. the cause of future suffering is indicated indirectly in the First Noble Reality: It is the craving for sense pleasures. The worst results (rebirths in the apāyās) will result if we do unethical things to get such sense pleasures.

• For instance, individual X might kill another person to get his cash or to wed his better half. Despite the fact that X may achieve that goal and “take pleasure in life” for even 100 years, that is absolutely nothing compared millions of years of future suffering X will go through due to his immoral action.

7. When a fish bites the bait, it does not see the suffering concealed because action. Looking from the ground we can see the entire photo and we understand what is going to take place to the fish if it bites the bait. However the fish is unable to see that entire picture, and therefore does not see the concealed suffering. It just sees a delicious little bit of food.

• In the same method, if we do not understand about the wider world of 31 realms (with the suffering-filled 4 most affordable worlds), we only concentrate on what is easily available to our six senses.
• In order to really comprehend suffering through duplicated rebirths, one requires to comprehend that many suffering is experienced in the 4 most affordable worlds (apāyās); see, “The Grand Unified Theory of Dhamma” at puredhamma.net.
• Therefore, stopping suffering needs one to be mindful of one’s actions and stop doing bad vaci and kāya saṅkhāra (i.e., unethical thinking, speech, and deeds).

8. Therefore, the “never ever heard fact about suffering” that the Buddha revealed is the suffering that is hidden in sense enjoyments. The level of suffering depends upon what we do (vaci and kāya saṅkhāra) to get those pleasures. If they are immoral then worst suffering in the apāyās will result.

• Our company believe that those sense satisfaction are to be valued and to be taken pleasure in. That is because we do not see immediately the repercussions of any bad actions that we do to get those sense satisfaction.
• For instance, if one rapes a lady to get enjoyment for a short time, one could be spending millions of years as an animal in the future since of that immoral action.
• However, it might not be simple to comprehend this point. One requires to advance detailed; see, “Is It Required for a Buddhist to Remove Sensual Desires?”.
• The primary step to lower suffering in the future is to prevent doing bad deeds (kamma) through thoughts, speech, and physical actions (once again, these are connected with manō, vaci, and kāya saṅkhāra).
• Therefore, we produce our own future joy by means of puñña abhisaṅkhāra (good saṅkhāra) or future suffering by means of apuñña abhisaṅkhāra (bad saṅkhāra).

The Third Noble Truth– How to Stop Future Suffering

9. As we discussed above, such suffering can emerge in this life due to our own (apunnābhi) saṅkhāra (which we generate in order to please our cravings).

• In the same way, ALL FUTURE SUFFERING can also be come by controlling our own saṅkhāra.
• We connect to things with greed and hate via saṅkhāra, due to the fact that of our lack of knowledge of the 4 Noble Truths (avijjā). As we have actually talked about, this is the primary step in Paṭicca Samuppāda causing “the entire mass of suffering”: “avijjā paccayā saṅkhāra“.

10. The Third Noble Reality is about what can be achieved by systematically getting rid of those causes.

• Nirāmisa sukhaboosts from the point of starting the Course, and has four levels of PERMANENT boosts beginning at the Sōtapannastage and culminating at the Arahant stage; there are several posts beginning with, “3 Kinds of Happiness– What is Nirāmisa Sukha?”.

11. In order to stop the emerging of “bad saṅkhāra” we need to do two things: (1) get rid of avijjā by finding out real Dhamma, and (2) making use of our free choice to get control of our saṅkhāra (this is the basis of Ānāpāna/ Satipaṭṭhāna).

• An organized method to attain this is mentioned in the 4th Noble Fact.

The Fourth Noble Fact– The Method to Stop Future Suffering

12. The second Noble Reality is explains those CAUSES that we require to deal with. The source are greed, hate, and ignorance, but they require to be eliminated generally via comprehending the Three Attributes (Tilakkhana) and also via eliminating our bad saṃsāric habits; see a series of posts beginning with, “Routines, Objectives, Character (Gati)” to “The Method to Nibbāna– Elimination of Āsavā”.

• The method to accomplish this is to follow the Noble Eightfold Path: Sammā Diṭṭhi (understanding what is embedded in the Four Noble Truths), and then thinking (saṅkappa), speaking (vācā), acting (kammaṃta), living one’s whole life that way (ājiva), aiming harder (vāyāma), getting to the best mindset (sati), and lastly to samādhi.

13. When we follow the Noble Eightfold Course, nirāmisa sukhaemerges initially and then different phases of Nibbāna.

• Nirāmisa sukhastarts when one lives an ethical life (see, “10 Unethical Actions (Dasa Akusala)” and follow-up posts).
• The root causes of unethical habits are greed, hate, and lack of knowledge. Ignorance can be lowered to the extent of attaining the Sōtapanna stage simply via understanding the 3 Qualities of “this world of 31 realms”, i.e., anicca, dukkha, anatta; see, “Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta– Wrong Interpretations”, and the follow-up posts. It is that effective.

Why Is It Hard to See the “Hidden Suffering”?– Time Lag

14. The main problem in clearly seeing the “domino effect of mind actions” is that the results of those actions have a dead time and that dead time itself is not foreseeable.

• In contrast, it is simple to predict what is going to happen with product things (moving an item, an automobile, a rocket, etc). The success of physical sciences is due to this factor. Once the underlying laws are discovered (laws of gravity, laws of motion, electromagnetism, nuclear forces, quantum mechanics, etc), one has complete control.

15. However the mind is extremely different. To start with, no two minds work the exact same method. Under a provided set of conditions, each mind will picked to act differently. With physical things, that is not so; under a given set of conditions, what will take place can be forecasted properly.

• Effects of some actions (kamma) might not materialize in this life and sometimes it may come to fruition just in many lives down the roadway (but with collected interest).
• Even in this life, mind phenomena are intricate: This is why economics is not a “genuine science”. It involves how individuals act sometimes “irrationally” for viewed gains. No economic theory can exactly predict how a provided stock exchange will perform.

16. This “cause and effect” that involves the mind is the concept of kammaand kamma vipākain Buddha Dhamma.

• However unlike in Hinduism, Kammais not deterministic, i.e., not all kamma vipākahave to come to fulfillment; see, “What is Kamma? Is Everything Figured Out by Kamma?”.
• Ideal CONDITIONS must exist to bring excellent or bad kamma vipāka to fulfillment. That is why kamma is not deterministic and we can stop ALL future suffering.
• We just require to eliminate avijjā and taṇhā, 2 crucial actions in Paṭicca Samuppāda. That is how Angulimāla overcame all that bad kamma of eliminating practically 1000 individuals.

Only a Part of Suffering in This Life Can Be Gotten Rid Of

Lastly, we can look into what can of suffering can be stopped from arising in this itself, so that we can acquire self-confidence in Buddha Dhamma. One does not require to blindly believe and follow Buddha’s teachings.

17. There are two types of vēdanā(sensations); see, “Vēdanā (Sensations) Emerge in 2 Ways”.

• First is because of kamma vipāka.
• The 2nd is psychological suffering due to saṅkhāra (by means of attachment to sensuous satisfaction and friction (paṭigha) due to things we don’t like). This could lead to anxiety.

18. This life is the OUTCOME of previous kamma. Once a life starts, it can not be stopped until “its kammic energy” is tired. This life WILL wind up in old age, decay, and eventual death.

• For that reason, if someone has aches and discomforts due to old age, it is not possible to get rid of them besides to use medications or therapy to minimize the discomfort and handle it.
• Even the Buddha had pain in the back due to old age, and had a severe stomach pains at the end.
• One might get injured, come down with an illness, etc.
• . All these are due to kamma vipāka.

19. On the other hand, it is possible to stop the second type (“psychological suffering”) that develops due to our own way of thinking (once again, our own vaci saṅkhāra).

• For that reason, we can EXPERIENCE the relief from suffering (called nirāmisa sukha) in this life itself.
• The suffering (or vēdanā) that a living Arahant has removed is called “samphassa ja vēdanā“. This is what results in anxiety in some people.
• Here, “samphassa” is “san” + “phassa“, or “contact with one’s own defilements (san)”; see, “What is “San”? Meaning of Sansāra (or Samsāra)”.

Human Beings Have Free Will to Eliminate Future Suffering

20. The life we have as a human is an OUTCOME of a previous kindness. The life of a pet dog or an ant is the outcome of a past deed by that sentient being.

• And what happens to us in this life is a MIX of what we have actually carried out in the past (kamma vipāka) AND what we carry out in this life.
• What takes place to an animal is PRIMARILY due to kamma vipākafrom the past.
• The difference in between a human and an animal is that the animal does not have much control over what is going to take place to it. But human birth is a special one: We have a greater level mind that CAN change the future to some degree, and with possible massive repercussions.
• We have free will and animals (or those beings in other lower worlds) do not. We can manage our saṅkhāra, and they can not. It is very challenging to get a human birth. We ought to not waste this opportunity.

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