First Noble Truth - dukkha?

Exploring Theravāda's connections to other paths - what can we learn from other traditions, religions and philosophies?
Sanghamitta
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Re: First Noble Truth - dukkha?

Post by Sanghamitta »

Yes I do think its enough for proper practice to just know that there is an inherent unsatisfactoryness as a quality of phenomena without even knowing why.

Things arise dependently , "why " is not the point.
The going for refuge is the door of entrance to the teachings of the Buddha.

Bhikku Bodhi.
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fivebells
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Re: First Noble Truth - dukkha?

Post by fivebells »

acinteyyo wrote:sorry... then just ignore the story. Only the first and second sentence really matters.
OK, those sentences were
sure, there should be a definition previously. The first noble truth is a definition of dukkha, isn't it?
The first noble truth is
"Now what 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 one wants is stressful. In short, the five clinging-aggregates are stressful."
Here "stress" is used to translate "dukkha." So, as I said, this list constitutes the definition of dukkha. They are dukkha by definition.
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acinteyyo
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Re: First Noble Truth - dukkha?

Post by acinteyyo »

Well, thank you guys! Since I can't verify whether my question might be wrongly asked or not and it seems to me we're drifting apart from the question itself, and I'm not sure about how you understood what I wanted to say, and I'm not sure whether I understood correctly what you have said, I think it would be the best to stop here. I'm going to think about, and contemplate all what have been said here.

best wishes, acinteyyo
Thag 1.20. Ajita - I do not fear death; nor do I long for life. I’ll lay down this body, aware and mindful.
rowyourboat
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Re: First Noble Truth - dukkha?

Post by rowyourboat »

Acinteyyo

If you stick your finger in a fire isnt it enough to know that it is painful for you to avoid it in the future? In fact you (because of that experience) would have no option but to avoid it in the future because you have a very strong memory of the pain. Similarly the mind which truly experiences anicca (not just know, but experience through vipassana) has a similar reaction and a deep memory. It leads to detachment and non-craving.

I mentioned that the sentient mind is not able to accept anicca- to tolerate its moment to moment experience. This was my attempt to explain why anicca was unsatisfactory. -like water and oil cannot tolerate each other. Hence we are talking of a characteristic- not arising due to any particular reason (except for the arising of phenomena itself- which really is the problem).

When the mind sees through to deep anicca- it lets go of all arising- hence nibbana- the psychic 'non'experience of mind completely letting go.
With Metta

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acinteyyo
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Re: First Noble Truth - dukkha?

Post by acinteyyo »

I made up my mind, my understanding is that the five clinging-aggregates are dukkha because of wrong view (ditthi) [(and related to "belief in a self" (attavada)].
One only suffers when one creates conceivabilities. These conceivabilities aren't in line with the phenomena as they are. In fact they are never in line with the nature of all dhamma as long as there is wrong view. (atta-ditthi, sakkāya-ditthi, sassata-ditthi, uccheda-ditthi...) As long one believes he or she is substantially somebody, he or she will create conceivabilities.
MN1 Mulapariyaya Sutta: The Root Sequence wrote:The Blessed One said: "There is the case, monks, where an uninstructed run-of-the-mill person — who has no regard for noble ones, is not well-versed or disciplined in their Dhamma; who has no regard for men of integrity, is not well-versed or disciplined in their Dhamma — perceives earth as earth. Perceiving earth as earth, he conceives [things] about earth, he conceives [things] in earth, he conceives [things] coming out of earth, he conceives earth as 'mine,' he delights in earth. Why is that? Because he has not comprehended it, I tell you.

"He perceives water as water... fire as fire... wind as wind1 ... beings as beings... gods as gods...Pajapati as Pajapati...Brahma as Brahma... the luminous gods as luminous gods... the gods of refulgent glory as gods of refulgent glory... the gods of abundant fruit as the gods of abundant fruit... the Great Being as the Great Being2 ... the dimension of the infinitude of space as the dimension of the infinitude of space... the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness as the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness... the dimension of nothingness as the dimension of nothingness... the dimension of neither-perception-nor-non-perception as the dimension of neither-perception-nor-non-perception3 ... the seen as the seen... the heard as the heard... the sensed as the sensed... the cognized as the cognized4 ... singleness as singleness... multiplicity as multiplicity5 ... the All as the All6 ...

"He perceives Unbinding as Unbinding.7 Perceiving Unbinding as Unbinding, he conceives things about Unbinding, he conceives things in Unbinding, he conceives things coming out of Unbinding, he conceives Unbinding as 'mine,' he delights in Unbinding. Why is that? Because he has not comprehended it, I tell you.
The Trainee

"A monk who is a trainee — yearning for the unexcelled relief from bondage, his aspirations as yet unfulfilled — directly knows earth as earth. Directly knowing earth as earth, let him not conceive things about earth, let him not conceive things in earth, let him not conceive things coming out of earth, let him not conceive earth as 'mine,' let him not delight in earth. Why is that? So that he may comprehend it, I tell you.

"He directly knows water as water... fire as fire... wind as wind... beings as beings... gods as gods... Pajapati as Pajapati... Brahma as Brahma... the luminous gods as luminous gods... the gods of refulgent glory as gods of refulgent glory... the gods of abundant fruit as the gods of abundant fruit... the Great Being as the Great Being... the dimension of the infinitude of space as the dimension of the infinitude of space... the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness as the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness... the dimension of nothingness as the dimension of nothingness... the dimension of neither-perception-nor-non-perception as the dimension of neither-perception-nor-non-perception... the seen as the seen... the heard as the heard... the sensed as the sensed... the cognized as the cognized... singleness as singleness... multiplicity as multiplicity... the All as the All...

"He directly knows Unbinding as Unbinding. Directly knowing Unbinding as Unbinding, let him not conceive things about Unbinding, let him not conceive things in Unbinding, let him not conceive things coming out of Unbinding, let him not conceive Unbinding as 'mine,' let him not delight in Unbinding. Why is that? So that he may comprehend it, I tell you.
The Arahant

"A monk who is a Worthy One, devoid of mental fermentations — who has attained completion, finished the task, laid down the burden, attained the true goal, destroyed the fetters of becoming, and is released through right knowledge — directly knows earth as earth. Directly knowing earth as earth, he does not conceive things about earth, does not conceive things in earth, does not conceive things coming out of earth, does not conceive earth as 'mine,' does not delight in earth. Why is that? Because he has comprehended it, I tell you.

"He directly knows water as water... fire as fire... wind as wind... beings as beings... gods as gods... Pajapati as Pajapati... Brahma as Brahma... the luminous gods as luminous gods... the gods of refulgent glory as gods of refulgent glory... the gods of abundant fruit as the gods of abundant fruit... the Great Being as the Great Being... the dimension of the infinitude of space as the dimension of the infinitude of space... the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness as the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness... the dimension of nothingness as the dimension of nothingness... the dimension of neither-perception-nor-non-perception as the dimension of neither-perception-nor-non-perception... the seen as the seen... the heard as the heard... the sensed as the sensed... the cognized as the cognized... singleness as singleness... multiplicity as multiplicity... the All as the All...

"He directly knows Unbinding as Unbinding. Directly knowing Unbinding as Unbinding, he does not conceive things about Unbinding, does not conceive things in Unbinding, does not conceive things coming out of Unbinding, does not conceive Unbinding as 'mine,' does not delight in Unbinding. Why is that? Because he has comprehended it, I tell you.

"A monk who is a Worthy One, devoid of mental fermentations... directly knows earth as earth. Directly knowing earth as earth, he does not conceive things about earth, does not conceive things in earth, does not conceive things coming out of earth, does not conceive earth as 'mine,' does not delight in earth. Why is that? Because, with the ending of passion, he is devoid of passion, I tell you.

"He directly knows water as water... the All as the All...

"He directly knows Unbinding as Unbinding. Directly knowing Unbinding as Unbinding, he does not conceive things about Unbinding, does not conceive things in Unbinding, does not conceive things coming out of Unbinding, does not conceive Unbinding as 'mine,' does not delight in Unbinding. Why is that? Because, with the ending of passion, he is devoid of passion, I tell you.

"A monk who is a Worthy One, devoid of mental fermentations... directly knows earth as earth. Directly knowing earth as earth, he does not conceive things about earth, does not conceive things in earth, does not conceive things coming out of earth, does not conceive earth as 'mine,' does not delight in earth. Why is that? Because, with the ending of aversion, he is devoid of aversion, I tell you.

"He directly knows water as water... the All as the All...

"He directly knows Unbinding as Unbinding. Directly knowing Unbinding as Unbinding, he does not conceive things about Unbinding, does not conceive things in Unbinding, does not conceive things coming out of Unbinding, does not conceive Unbinding as 'mine,' does not delight in Unbinding. Why is that? Because, with the ending of aversion, he is devoid of aversion, I tell you.

"A monk who is a Worthy One, devoid of mental fermentations... directly knows earth as earth. Directly knowing earth as earth, he does not conceive things about earth, does not conceive things in earth, does not conceive things coming out of earth, does not conceive earth as 'mine,' does not delight in earth. Why is that? Because, with the ending of delusion, he is devoid of delusion, I tell you.

"He directly knows water as water... the All as the All...

"He directly knows Unbinding as Unbinding. Directly knowing Unbinding as Unbinding, he does not conceive things about Unbinding, does not conceive things in Unbinding, does not conceive things coming out of Unbinding, does not conceive Unbinding as 'mine,' does not delight in Unbinding. Why is that? Because, with the ending of delusion, he is devoid of delusion, I tell you.
The Tathagata

"The Tathagata — a worthy one, rightly self-awakened — directly knows earth as earth. Directly knowing earth as earth, he does not conceive things about earth, does not conceive things in earth, does not conceive things coming out of earth, does not conceive earth as 'mine,' does not delight in earth. Why is that? Because the Tathagata has comprehended it to the end, I tell you.

"He directly knows water as water... fire as fire... wind as wind... beings as beings... gods as gods... Pajapati as Pajapati... Brahma as Brahma... the luminous gods as luminous gods... the gods of refulgent glory as gods of refulgent glory... the gods of abundant fruit as the gods of abundant fruit... the Great Being as the Great Being... the dimension of the infinitude of space as the dimension of the infinitude of space... the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness as the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness... the dimension of nothingness as the dimension of nothingness... the dimension of neither-perception-nor-non-perception as the dimension of neither-perception-nor-non-perception... the seen as the seen... the heard as the heard... the sensed as the sensed... the cognized as the cognized... singleness as singleness... multiplicity as multiplicity... the All as the All...

"He directly knows Unbinding as Unbinding. Directly knowing Unbinding as Unbinding, he does not conceive things about Unbinding, does not conceive things in Unbinding, does not conceive things coming out of Unbinding, does not conceive Unbinding as 'mine,' does not delight in Unbinding. Why is that? Because the Tathagata has comprehended it to the end, I tell you.

"The Tathagata — a worthy one, rightly self-awakened — directly knows earth as earth. Directly knowing earth as earth, he does not conceive things about earth, does not conceive things in earth, does not conceive things coming out of earth, does not conceive earth as 'mine,' does not delight in earth. Why is that? Because he has known that delight is the root of suffering & stress, that from coming-into-being there is birth, and that for what has come into being there is aging & death. Therefore, with the total ending, fading away, cessation, letting go, relinquishment of craving, the Tathagata has totally awakened to the unexcelled right self-awakening, I tell you.

"He directly knows water as water... the All as the All...

"He directly knows Unbinding as Unbinding. Directly knowing Unbinding as Unbinding, he does not conceive things about Unbinding, does not conceive things in Unbinding, does not conceive things coming out of Unbinding, does not conceive Unbinding as 'mine,' does not delight in Unbinding. Why is that? Because he has known that delight is the root of suffering & stress, that from coming-into-being there is birth, and that for what has come into being there is aging & death. Therefore, with the total ending, fading away, cessation, letting go, relinquishment of craving, the Tathagata has totally awakened to the unexcelled right self-awakening, I tell you."

That is what the Blessed One said. Displeased, the monks did not delight in the Blessed One's words.
When one holds the view that sun, no clouds and 20 - 30°C is "good" weather, then there is automatically the other view, and he or she will suffer when there are other conditions as defined as "good" weather. That is also a kind of wrong view. Because there is no good weather or bad weather. Weather is just weather. No reason to cling to (the view of) "good" or bad weather. This is where it all beginns...
when there is right view (sammaditthi) one will come to the point where tathatā (suchness) is realized, then birth is just birth, death is just death, the five aggregates are what is left but there's no more clinging.
When the delusion is seen as delusion then it vanishes and with it the craving. Without the existance of craving there is no more birth, ageing or death, in short the five clinging-aggregates. Without craving there is no origin of dukkha.
I still say there must be right view to enter the path, the stream otherwise there is no entering the path. It isn't possible to let go wrong view by simply want it. Wrong view has to be seen as wrong view.

This is how I see the teachings.
I wish you all the best, acinteyyo
Last edited by acinteyyo on Sat Oct 10, 2009 12:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Thag 1.20. Ajita - I do not fear death; nor do I long for life. I’ll lay down this body, aware and mindful.
Sanghamitta
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Re: First Noble Truth - dukkha?

Post by Sanghamitta »

I think that the important thing is that our deliberations give us license and incentive to actually do the practises.
The going for refuge is the door of entrance to the teachings of the Buddha.

Bhikku Bodhi.
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acinteyyo
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Re: First Noble Truth - dukkha?

Post by acinteyyo »

Sanghamitta wrote:I think that the important thing is that our deliberations give us license and incentive to actually do the practises.
totally agree :D
Thag 1.20. Ajita - I do not fear death; nor do I long for life. I’ll lay down this body, aware and mindful.
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