Post 7: PART THREE: ENTRANCE TO THE WAY OF THE ONE VEHICLE: Sec. 6: Articulating the Endess Noble Truths; Sec. 7: Articulating the Inner-Tathagata; Sec. 8: Articulating the Dharma-body; and Sec. 9: Articulating the Concealed True Reality of the Meaning of Emptiness

PART THREE: ENTRANCE TO THE WAY OF THE ONE VEHICLE: 

With Sec. 6: Articulating the Endless Noble Truths; Sec. 7: Articulating the Inner-Tathagata; Sec. 8: Articulating the Dharma-body; and Sec. 9: Articulating the Concealed True Reality of the Meaning of Emptiness.

Section Six: Articulating The Endless Noble Truths.

            “World Honored One, the listener-disciples and the causally-awakened initially contemplate the Noble Truths* (arya-satya) by using a single knowledge to cut off the various abiding-states.  By means of a single knowledge, the four [abiding-states of affliction] are cut off to know the virtuous-merits and make confirmation, and likewise the good knowing of the meaning of these four Dharmas (i.e., the Four Noble Truths).

            “World Honored One, as they (i.e., listener-disciples and the causally-awakened) do not have the highest knowledge of the transmundane, the four knowledges are reached gradually, as well as the four conditional-causes are reached gradually.  The Dharma of ‘having nothing reached gradually’ is the highest knowledge of the transmundane.

            “World Honored One, that which is symbolized as the diamond* (vajra) is the primary-meaning’s knowledge (paramartha-jnana, alt., knowledge of the primary-meaning).

            “World Honored One, this is not for the listener-disciples or the causally-awakened who do not sever the abiding-state of ignorance by the initial knowledge of the Noble Truths, this is the primary-meaning’s knowledge.

            “World Honored One, by using the knowledge of the nondual Noble Truths one severs the various abiding-states.

            “World Honored One, the Tathagata-Worthy of Offerings-Completely-Awakened-Ones are not in the objective-field of all the listener-disciples and the causally-awakened ones, and they sever all the storehouse of afflictions by the knowledge of inconceivable emptiness (acintya-shunyata-jnana).

            “World Honored One, if it destroys all inner afflictions then the ultimate knowledge is called the primary-meaning’s knowledge.  The initial knowledge of the Noble Truths is not the ultimate knowledge directed toward the knowledge of unexcelled-unified-thorough-enlightenment. 

            “World Honored One, that which is the meaning of ‘Noble’ is not [referring] to all the listener-disciples and the causally-awakened.  The listener-disciples and the causally-awakened who are accomplished have measurable virtuous-merit.  Because the listener-disciples and the causally-awakened who are less accomplished are divided from [the inconceivable] virtuous-merit, they are called going for the Noble [as a refuge].  That which are the Noble Truths are not the truths of the listener-disciples and the causally-awakened and, likewise, are not the virtuous-merits of the listener-disciples and the causally-awakened.

            “World Honored One, these Truths are known from the initial awakening of the Tathagata-Worthy-of-Offerings-Completely-Awakened One, and so afterwards, for the mundane with an inner shell of ignorance are opened, revealed, and expounded and are therefore called the Noble Truths.

 

Section Seven: Articulating the Inner-Tathagata

             “That which are the Noble Truths articulate the extremely profound meaning that is minutely subtle and difficult to know and is not the objective-field of thinking and calculating.  It is those of knowledge who know, whereas everyone who is mundane is incapable of faith.  Because why?  This articulates the extremely profound interiority of the Tathagata.  That which is the Inner-Tathagata is the objective-field of the Tathagata, whereas it is not for all listener-disciples or the causally-awakened to know.  The locus* (sthana, adhisthana, ayatana?) of the Inner-Tathagata articulates the meaning of the Noble Truths.  Because the locus of the Inner-Tathagata is extremely profound, articulating the Noble Truths likewise is extremely profound, minutely subtle, and difficult to know, and is not the objective-field of thinking and calculating.  It is those of knowledge who know, whereas everyone who is mundane is incapable of faith.

 

Section Eight: Articulating the Dharma-body

             “If those who do not doubt, in regard to the Inner-Tathagata being entangled in the storehouse of immeasurable afflictions, then, in regard to the Dharma-body going beyond the storehouse of immeasurable afflictions, likewise they have no doubt.  In regard to articulating the Inner-Tathagata, the Dharma-body of the Tathagata, the inconceivable Buddha objective-fields, as well as skillful-means are articulated.  

            “Those whose mind attains certainty articulate the two Noble Truths by these criteria of faith and interpretation.  Like this, that which is difficult to know and difficult to interpret is designated ‘articulating the meaning of the two Noble Truths.’  What categories serve for articulating the meaning of the two Noble Truths?  They are designated ‘articulating the meaning of the constructed* (samskrta) Noble Truths’ and ‘articulating the meaning of the unconstructed* (asamskrta) Noble Truths.’

            “That which is ‘articulating the meaning of the constructed Noble Truths’ is to articulate that there are measurable Four Noble Truths.  Because why? It’s not because of another that one is able to know every suffering, to sever every origination, to confirm every extinction, and to cultivate every Path.  For this reason, World Honored One, there is birth-and-death with becoming and birth-and-death without becoming.  Nirvana likewise is so, with remainder as well as without remainder. 

            “That which is ‘articulating the meaning of the unconstructed Noble Truths’ articulates the meaning of the immeasurable Four Noble Truths.  Because why?  One is able by means of one’s own power to know every sensation of suffering, to sever every sensation of origination, to confirm every sensation of extinction, and to cultivate every sensation of the Path of extinction. 

            “Like this are the Eight Noble Truths.  The Tathagata articulates the Four Noble Truths, and like this, the meanings of the unconstructed Four Noble Truths.  Only Tathagata-Worthy of Offerings-Completely Awakened Ones (Tathagata-Arhat-Samyak-Sambuddhas) completely fathom the matter, and neither the Arhats nor Independent-Buddhas completely fathom the matter. Because why? Neither the inferior, intermediate, nor superior Dharmas gain Nirvana. Because why? For the Tathagata-Worthy of Offerings-Completely Awakened Ones to completely fathom the matter is in regard to the meaning of the uncontstructed Four Noble Truths.  By its use every Tathagata-Worthy of Offerings-Completely Awakened One knows every future suffering, severs every affliction to the place of the highest afflictions that include every origination, extinguishes every divisive mental-apparition body, and with every suffering extinguished, makes the confirmation.

            “World Honored One, because of the indestructibility of Dharma (dharmavinasa), it is named as ‘the extinction of suffering’ (dukkhanirodha).   That which is actually declared to be ‘the extinction of suffering’ is called beginningless, unconstructed, non-arising, inexhaustible, separate from exhaustion, constantly abiding, by its own nature clear and pure, and separate from the storehouse of all afflictions.

“World Honored One, transgressions [more numerous] than the sands of the Ganges are not separate from, are not stripped from, and are not different from the inconceivable Buddha Dharma that brings to perfection the articulation of the Dharma-body of the Tathagata.

            “World Honored One, so it is that the Dharma-body of the Tathagata, when it is not separate from the storehouse of afflictions, is called the Inner-Tathagata.”  

 

Section Nine: Articulating the Concealed True Reality Of The Meaning Of Emptiness.

             “World Honored One, the knowledge of the Inner-Tathagata is the Tathagata’s knowledge of emptiness. 

            “World Honored One, that which is the Inner-Tathagata, all the Arhats, Independent-Buddhas, and Bodhisattvas of great power at the root actually do not see, at the root actually do not attain.

            “World Honored One, there are two kinds of the Inner-Tathagata’s knowledge of emptiness.

            “World Honored One, the empty Inner-Tathagata is as if separate from, is as if released from, and is as if different from the storehouse of all afflictions.

            “World Honored One, the non-empty Inner-Tathagata, is not separate from, is not released from, and is not different from the inconceivable Buddha Dharmas more numerous than the sands of the Ganges.

            “World Honored One, by this knowledge of the two emptinesses, the various great listener-disciples (mahasravakas) are able to have faith in the Tathagata.  The knowledge of emptiness of all the Arhats and Independent-Buddhas revolves in the objective-field of the four non-inverteds.  This is because all Arhats and Independent-Buddhas at their root do not see, and at their root do not attain, the extinction of all suffering.  Only the Buddhas are able to confirm the destruction of the storehouse of all afflictions and cultivate the path of wholly extinguishing suffering.”

[End of Post 7.]

[Go to Post 8: PART THREE: ENTRANCE TO THE WAY OF THE ONE VEHICLE:  Sec.10: Articulating the One Truth, Sec. 11: Articulating the One Refuge That Is Always Abiding in Hidden Ease, Sec. 12: Articulating the Inversions of True Reality, Sec. 13: Articulating the Concealment of The Clear And Pure Mind of One’s Own Nature, Sec. 14: Articulating the Tathagata’s True Children, Sec. 15: Articulating the Lion’s Roar of Queen Srimala.]

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The Buddha didn't say, “Life is suffering."

 

 

This is my response to the question "Is Buddha right that life is suffering?" at the Quora website.

First off, the Buddha never said, “Life is suffering.” That is in the form of a generalized philosophical assertion, and the Buddha did not speak that way.

Let’s look at the word usually translated as “suffering.” It is “dukkha” and comes from the idea of a wheel that is off center or unbalanced. Thus when the wheel turns on the off centered axle the ride is very bumpy. This gives the word the connotations of stress; suffering; agitation; pain; distress; discontent; unease; etc. in how it would feel having to ride in a cart whose axle and wheel are not aligned. The opposite is “sukha” which means how the smooth ride feels in a cart with the axle and wheel properly aligned. This gives the connotations of ease; comfortable; pleasure; satisfaction; joy; etc., that is, to lessen or be free from strain, discomfort, stress, worry, agitation, etc.

So for “dukkha” let’s say “unease” or “uneasy” knowing it means the result of being off center or unbalanced, and for “sukha” let’s say “ease” or “easy” knowing it means the result of being centered and balanced.

When the Buddha taught about unease (dukkha), the Buddha didn’t make a blanket conclusory statement that “life is uneasy.” He pointed out how specific and particular inevitable aspects and conditions of life make us uneasy. This is called the “First Noble Truth of the Truth of Unease.” The Second Noble Truth is the Truth of the Origination of Unease, the Third Noble Truth is the Truth that Unease May Cease, and the Fourth Noble Truth is the Truth of the Path to the Cessation of Unease. They are called the Four Noble Truths, because they are the Truths of the Noble One, i.e., the Buddha, and the truths that will lead each person to becoming a Noble One, that is, a Buddha.

To enumerate the First Noble Truth, the Buddha said, “Birth is uneasy, aging is uneasy, death is uneasy; sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair are uneasy; being in contact with what we do not love uneasy, separation from the loved is uneasy, not getting what is wanted is uneasy. In short, the five branchings of appropriation are uneasy.”

(The “five branchings of appropriation,” pañca-upandana-skandha, are the outline of the five categories of our physical and psychic makeup that we take as our own to create the manifestation of self and personality.)

People who hear the mistranslation and misinterpretation of “life is suffering” can wrongly conclude that the Buddha was saying “life is bad” or “to put an end to suffering, put an end to life.” This is the gravest misunderstanding of Buddhism (the Buddha Dharma). The Buddha’s teaching that “birth makes us uneasy, death makes us uneasy, sorrow makes us uneasy, despair makes us uneasy,” etc. was to point to the way we can learn to not be made so uneasy by these things. He was pointing to the path of ease and joy in living even when we must inevitably encounter these conditions of life that usually make us uneasy and stressed out. He was not saying “life is suffering and bad, so forget it, or just accept it that way.” He was saying life can be joyful if you look at how unease, distress, or discomfort in life originate and how the cause of that origination may be put to an end.

This path of ease and joy is called The Fourth Noble Truth of the Eight-fold Path and enumerates eight parts of the way to live a life that is aligned, centered, and balanced. So it is profoundly important to understand that when the Buddha pointed out that under our usual way of looking at life, the conditions of life become seen as sources of sorrow, suffering, unease, etc, it is our own perspective, frame of reference, and conduct that make it so, not some inevitable fate or destiny. The original sin leading to our suffering is our own ignorance about how we look at and approach life, not in life itself. The Buddha taught how to put an end to our original sin of ignorance and to be free of unease and suffering while living.