The 4 noble truths : The path towards Buddhahood 101

[Arhattobe]

The Path 101 

Life is suffering:

Life has an inherent unsatisfactory nature. 

The pleasurable moments in life are too few, too momentary, gone too quickly, with little depth and meaning.

Yet the struggle in life is constant. The struggle to be in a pleasurable state. If one is in such a state. To remain in it. To have a pleasurable life, to make money, to be accepted, to have value, to not be looked down upon, to not age, to not wither, to not die, the struggle to stop struggling.

The struggle is always there.

Most people do not stare at this inherent characteristic of life. The suffering caused by it. For confronting it, and it’s inescapable nature is something everyone is too scared to look at.

Instead of confronting said characteristic of life. People Cover it up. Put it in the dark recesses of their subconscious mind. 

Yet the struggle continues. The desperation to end the struggle does as well. Without knowing the cause of this struggle. We desperately look towards anything and everything to end it. Alas. It does not.

Sometimes if we are lucky we get to forget about it momentarily. When we momentarily become infatuated with something. A new posession, new love, new whatever, but even then. It will slowly but surely creep up on us. With a tap on our shoulder. To remind us. I am still here. 

Life after life. It stays right behind us. To remind us.

I am still here.

 

The suffering has a cause :

The human being is a localised piece of consciousness, self aware, designed for survival and growth.

The means with which it attempts to survive and grow is what we refer to as the “intellect”. 

The intellect does so by “understanding.” By understanding it’s environment, itself, and everything else in existence.

This is where the problem arises. The intellect simply can not understand everything. It can not even understand itself. 

This paradoxical need to understand, and inability to do so completely. Gives birth to mans most primal emotion. Fear of the unknown. 

Since time immemorial. Mankind has feared the unknown. Struggled against it.

Attempted to control it. Yet the unknown is too vast. Too big. It has completely swallowed us up whole. 

The struggle I mentioned earlier is caused by the fear of unknown and our fruitless endeavours to tame it, to control it. To know fully that we are safe. 

From everything. Everyone. Every possibility.

The Buddhists believe craving is the cause of our suffering, and it is, but cravings are merely a result of our need to control. 

Eg We crave status to have some control over our social standing, perception, and “safety” when it comes to the social hierarchy. For we fear that if we are not in good standing. Our survival would be threatened. We crave money  for similar reasons. In fact every craving is the result of our fear of the u know + our need to control (to be safe)

3: liberation 

It is possible to end the struggle, the need to control, the suffering. 

This can be done by going beyond the animalistic urge to survive, and the product of that urges connection with the intellect. 

The individuated self.

If we slowly go beyond all of said things. The mechanisms in place that cause the constant struggle, and the individuated self will completely fall apart.

At which point we will be. 

Beyond the struggle. Beyond the animalistic drive to survive. Beyond the individuated self.

In Nirvana.

4: The 8 fold noble path. 

Right view

Right resolve 

Right speech 

Right action

Right livelihood 

Right effort

Right mindfulness 

Right concentration 

(The last two can summarised ad the right Sadhana practice)

One might wonder, however, what right means in these instances. What is the “right” view? The “right” resolve? The “Right” speech? The “Right” anything?

To explain this, and for you to understand what “right” is. 

Let us ask

What “wrong” is? 

Making ourselves feel good at the expense of others is wrong, acting selfishly is wrong, not doing what we think we should be doing is wrong (eg meditating), playing the victim is wrong, giving in to negative emotion and letting it colour our experience is wrong, lying to ourselves, building a house and escaping reality because it is uncomfortable is wrong.

Based on those examples, your gut, common sense and the 8 fold path. Without even thinking, we should have a good idea of what the 8 fold path entails.

The 8 fold path is a path of growth, however, and if you just stick to you current understanding and perspective (at any given moment) without learning from and reflecting on life, although it will take you towards the right direction. It will not take you very far.

Through self awareness, genuinity, selflessness (the way I described it in an earlier written satsang) we must continuously look towards life to see in what areas our current delusional perspective is lacking. 

In what areas our we actually being selfish and egoic while we are thinking we are not? 

In what area are we hurting others while trying to help? In what way are we judging others when we should not be? In what ways are we triggered by life? And what is the reason? This line of inquiry isn’t to come to a conclusion. 

The point is growth. You can not jump towards the right view immediately. I still do not have it. Yet I reflect, and refine my views. Through every major event that shakes me up emotionally.

I then grow. Learn from my dharmic path. Trust it. Have faith. Learn. Growth, and so on.

Try not to have a dog in the fight. Observe, have faith, learn, learn, learn & grow.

& Do not forget what you need to learn are feeling truths not intellectual ones.

This cycle of growth will then add layers to 

your current understanding. Your perspective, and continuously expand it. Layers that allow for a child’s love to slowly transform to a grandfather’s love. Mature, balanced, subtle, deep.

PS Becoming a renunciate and practicing mindfulness can help for those of you that are too busy being caught up in the temptations of life to see it clearly. Try practicing those as well, because a few people on the discord messaged me to let me know it has been beneficial for them in the past.

 

[ground]

@Arhattobe  Are you trying to mix buddha dharma with something else? I am asking because you are negating 'individuated self' whereas buddha dharma is negating self. your negation could be understood as an implicative negation whereas the negation of buddha dharma is a non-implicative negation. But maybe I am getting you wrong. Anyway if your intention is to disseminate buddha dharma then this forum certainly isn't the right place to do so and if you are trying to mix buddha dharma with something else then why?

Anyway, I am sure you will  ignore my words and do as it pleases you

Edited December 18, 2018 by ground

[Arhattobe]

@ground It’s my take on reality, and the path using Theravada Buddhism. Theravada Buddhism is quite a complete path.

Anatta means there isn’t an eternal changeless substance like a soul.

No any kind of self comes at arhatship, buddhahood after various non dual stages.

first there is the individual. Then the first fetter “identity view” falls. A non dual self is born. Yet the non dual self is still in duality. It still has all the baggage of the self. Just easily detached with its newfound awareness.

the existence of the issues are due to the fact that the non dual self. Is an individual experiencing non duality.

true and full non duality, comes in the abcense of all these issues and the individual.

 

[ground]

2 hours ago, Arhattobe said:

@ground It’s my take on reality, and the path using Theravada Buddhism. Theravada Buddhism is quite a complete path.

.....

true and full non duality, comes in the abcense of all these issues and the individual.

Theravada Buddhism does not teach non duality.

[Arhattobe]

This is simply incorrect.

It includes what you call “non duality”.

But It does not stop there. It is not one dimensional. It does not answer every question with “who is it?” And “that is a concept”. It does not deny the reality of lives that are no in “non duality”, nor the humanity of those in “non duality.”

It is nuanced, and paints a full picture of the spiritual path. Pre and post what you call “enlightenment.”

 

[ground]

@Arhattobe

First, it was you who brought up the topic 'true and full non duality' in the context of Theravada buddhism, not me.

Second, It is quite straightforward to dissolve inappropriate opinions about Theravada buddhism and 'non dualiity': you just have to study the Theravada tradition's scriptures, i.e. the pali suttas - meanwhile all have been translated into English - and see whether you can find a single sutta where the Buddha is said to teach 'non duality'. you won't find one but If you think you have found one, please let me know.

Having said that if you are inspired by both, Theravada buddhism and spiritual teachings of/about 'non duality', that's perfectly fine and you are of course free to synthesize your own mixture through interpreting Theravada buddhism from a 'non duality' perspective. If that is helpful for you then you should do so. But to claim Theravada buddhism to be identical with your private synthesis would not be respectful regarding the Theravada tradition.

Edited December 20, 2018 by ground