Greetings,
Regrettably it feels like every 2nd post is pretty much the same, but this so blatantly cries out for a dose of SN 12.15, that here it comes...
retrofuturist wrote:Once again, the propensity to cling to the polarity of existence and non-existence and not see a middle way in-between them astounds me. Why must it be one extreme or the other?
5heaps wrote:theyre not extremes, theyre valid dichotomies. valid and invalid, existent or nonexistent, etc. theres no middle way between such things -- you cant be half-existent and half-nonexistent.
SN 12.15: Kaccayanagotta Sutta
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Dwelling at Savatthi... Then Ven. Kaccayana Gotta approached the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One: "Lord, 'Right view, right view,' it is said. To what extent is there right view?"
"By & large, Kaccayana, this world is supported by (takes as its object) a polarity, that of existence & non-existence. But when one sees the origination of the world as it actually is with right discernment, 'non-existence' with reference to the world does not occur to one. When one sees the cessation of the world as it actually is with right discernment, 'existence' with reference to the world does not occur to one.
"By & large, Kaccayana, this world is in bondage to attachments, clingings (sustenances), & biases. But one such as this does not get involved with or cling to these attachments, clingings, fixations of awareness, biases, or obsessions; nor is he resolved on 'my self.' He has no uncertainty or doubt that just stress, when arising, is arising; stress, when passing away, is passing away. In this, his knowledge is independent of others. It's to this extent, Kaccayana, that there is right view.
"'Everything exists': That is one extreme. 'Everything doesn't exist': That is a second extreme. Avoiding these two extremes, the Tathagata teaches the Dhamma via the middle: From ignorance as a requisite condition come fabrications. From fabrications as a requisite condition comes consciousness. From consciousness as a requisite condition comes name-&-form. From name-&-form as a requisite condition come the six sense media. From the six sense media as a requisite condition comes contact. From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling. From feeling as a requisite condition comes craving. From craving as a requisite condition comes clinging/sustenance. From clinging/sustenance as a requisite condition comes becoming. From becoming as a requisite condition comes birth. From birth as a requisite condition, then aging & death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair come into play. Such is the origination of this entire mass of stress & suffering.
"Now from the remainderless fading & cessation of that very ignorance comes the cessation of fabrications. From the cessation of fabrications comes the cessation of consciousness. From the cessation of consciousness comes the cessation of name-&-form. From the cessation of name-&-form comes the cessation of the six sense media. From the cessation of the six sense media comes the cessation of contact. From the cessation of contact comes the cessation of feeling. From the cessation of feeling comes the cessation of craving. From the cessation of craving comes the cessation of clinging/sustenance. From the cessation of clinging/sustenance comes the cessation of becoming. From the cessation of becoming comes the cessation of birth. From the cessation of birth, then aging & death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair all cease. Such is the cessation of this entire mass of stress & suffering."
And just because I don't fancy only referencing SN 12.15, here's SN 12.65 as well...
SN 12.65: Nagara Sutta
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1. I heard thus. At one time the Blessed One lived in the monastery offered by Anàthapiõóika in Jeta's grove in Sàvatthi.
2. ßMonks, when I was not yet enlightened, when I was an aspirant for enlightenment, this thought occurred to me: `The worldling is in misery. Born he decays, dies, passes away and is born again. He does not know an escape from this misery. When will an escape from this misery of decay and death be evident?'
3. ßThen, monks, it occurred to me-`With the presence of what and on account of what, is decay and death?'
4. ßI reflected this thoroughly and wisdom and realization dawned on me, the presence of birth and on account of birth there is decay and death.
5. Then, monks, it occurred to me, `With the presence of what and on account of what, is birth, ... re ... being, ... re ... holding, ... re ... craving, ... re ... feelings, ... re ... contacts, ... re ... six spheres, ... re ... name and matter?'
6. ßI reflected this thoroughly and wisdom and realization dawned on me, the presence of consciousness on account of consciousness there is name and matter.
7. ßThen monks, it occurred to me, `With the presence of what and on account of what, is consciousness?'
8. ßI reflected this thoroughly and wisdom and realization dawned on me, when there is name and matter there is consciousness.
9. ßMonks, then it occurred to me, `This consciousness turns back from name and matter, does not go beyond. It's only this much, whether it is to diminish, to be produced, to die, to go away or to be born. That is, on account of name and matter is consciousness and on account of consciousness is name and matter. On account of name and matter are the six spheres and on account of the six spheres are contacts.'
ßThus is the arising, of the complete mass of unpleasantness.
10. ßThen knowledge, wisdom and light arose to me never heard before, as this is the arising.
11. ßThen monks, it occurred to me with the absence of what and the cessation of what is the cessation of decay and death.
12. ßThen monks, when I thought and wisely considered, wisdom and realization dawned on me, the absence of birth is absence of decay and death. The cessation of birth is the cessation of decay and death.
13. ßThen monks, it occurred to me with the absence of what is the absence of, birth, ... re ... being, ... re ... holding, ... re ... craving, ... re ... feelings, ... re ... contacts, ... re ... six spheres, ... re ... name and matter and with the cessation of what is the cessation of name and matter?
14. ßThen, monks, when I thought and wisely considered, wisdom and realization dawned on me, with the absence of consciousness there is no name and matter. The cessation of consciousness is the cessation of name and matter.
15. ßThen monks, it occurred to me with the absence of what and the cessation of what is the cessation of consciousness?
16. ßThen, monks, when I thought and wisely considered, wisdom and realization dawned on me, the absence of name and matter is absence of consciousness. The cessation of name and matter is the cessation of consciousness.
17. ßThen monks, it occurred to me: I have found the path for enlightenment, such as with the cessation of name and matter is the cessation of consciousness and with the cessation of consciousness is the cessation of name and matter. With the cessation of name and matter is the cessation of the six spheres. With the cessation of the six spheres is the cessation of contacts. This is the cessation of the complete mass of unpleasantness.
18. ßThen knowledge, wisdom and light arose to me never heard before, as this is the cessation.
19. ßMonks, like a man wandering in the declivity of the mountain forest seeing an ancient straightforward path, along which earlier humans had gone, follows it up and sees an ancient city and kingdom, with orchards, woodlands and ponds there people had lived in the past, embanked attractively.
20. ßThen monks, he informs the king or the king's minister: ßSir, know this, I was wandering in the declivity of the mountain forest and saw an ancient straightforward path, earlier humans had gone along that path. I followed it up and saw an ancient city and kingdom, with orchards, woodlands and ponds. There people had lived in the past, embanked attractively. Sir, create a city there.
21. ßThen monks, the king or the king's minister would create a city there and as time passed that city would become prosperous and opulent, full of people would become famous.
ßIn the same manner monks, I saw the ancient straightforward path along which the rightfully Enlightened Ones had gone
22. ßMonks, what is that ancient straightforward path, along which the rightfully Enlightened Ones had gone? It is this same Noble Eightfold path of right view, ... re ... right concentration. Monks, this is the ancient straightforward path, along which the earlier rightfully Enlightened Ones had gone. Going along that path, I thoroughly recognized decay and death, the arising of decay and death, the cessation of decay and death and the path leading to the cessation of decay and death.
23-31. ßGoing along that path, I thoroughly recognized being, ... re ... holding, ... re ... craving, ... re ... feelings, ... re ... contacts, ... re ... the six spheres, ... re ... name and matter, ... re ... consciousness, ... re ...
32. ßGoing along that path, I thoroughly recognized determinations, the arising of determinations, the cessation of determinations and the path leading to the cessation of determinations.
33. ßThoroughly knowing I explained it to the monks, bhikkhunis, lay disciples male and female. Monks by that the holy life became prosperous, opulent, widespread and well-known among the people.û
Metta,
Retro.
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."