Sermon 25: Nature

Whatever has the nature to arise,
all that has the nature to cease.

(S. LVI, 11)

Today, for the increase of awareness and wisdom, the aspect of Dhamma to be expounded is contained in the above quotation, "Whatever has the nature to arise, all that has the nature to cease." These words are found in the first discourse of Lord Buddha taught to the five ascetics in the Deer Sanctuary outside Benares, as well as in many other places in Buddhist scriptures. They always occur in one context: a person or several people are seated listening intently to the words of Dhamma spoken by Lord Buddha. As they sit there so they penetrate to the truth, which underlies those words. They see how these words spoken by Lord Buddha represent reality and they discover that reality, that truth, in themselves. Thus, in the First Discourse we find: "As this exposition was proceeding the passionless, stainless insight into the Dhamma (or truth) appeared the Venerable Kondafziia and he knew, 'Whatever has nature to arise, all that has the nature to cease.' " How marvelous was this occasion! The first time under the present Buddha when anyone had grasped the nature of Dhamma from hearing it taught. Lord Buddha's words at this time are preserved for us: Then the Blessed One inspired, uttered this: 'Truly Kondafifia has understood."' This first true insight into the nature of oneself and into the nature of all things, which are produced, is sometimes called the Eye of Dhamma (or insight into the Truth as we have called it), and sometimes called Entering the Stream, that is, one enters for the first time into the Dhamma-stream leading to Nibbana. A person who has done so, whether monk or nun, layman or laywoman, is called a Stream-enterer and their faith is unshakably fixed that the Buddha is indeed the Enlightened One, the Dhamma is indeed the Way to Enlightenment and the Sangha is indeed of those who have seen Dhamma for themselves. Their faith, the faith of those who compose the Noble Sangha, is immovably fixed because they have seen in themselves, "Whatever has the nature to arise, all that has the nature to cease." When one thinks about it, but only when one thinks about it, this brief statement of Dhamma is obviously true. But let us investigate a little further into the meaning of this sentence.

The key words in this statement is "Sabbam-the all." Now we have to know what is meant by 'the all' in Dhamma. Once when questioned regarding 'the all' by a Bhikkhu, Lord Buddha explained it as: "Eye and (visible) forms, ear and sounds, tongue and tastes, nose and smells, body and touchable; mind and mental objects." He further declared that if anyone were to teach an 'all' apart from this 'all' he would fall into confusion and be unable to make good his claims. This is because, of course, all that we know lies within the definition above of 'the all.' We have no senses to know that which is beyond this all, even if there were anything beyond this all to be known. What we cannot learn with the five senses and mind as the sixth, together with their respective objects, we shall have to remain in ignorance of, without any hope of knowing it. Now, this all, has the nature to arise and it has therefore has also the nature to cease. We are dealing with the world of experience where all phenomena, whether perceived externally or perceived internally with the mind, all are impermanent. Lord Buddha uses these words: "Sabbe sankhara anicca'ti-All that is conditioned is impermanent." Arising goes along with ceasing, creation with destruction, but it is also the other way round: ceasing or destruction accompanies arising or creation. There can never be one without the other in the world of the conditioned. We cannot think of anything we know which, having arisen in our experience, does not cease. This because all things conditioned are not really entities in themselves. They have no nature to arise by themselves, to exist by themselves, or to cease by themselves. On the contrary, they are completely reliant upon causes and conditions for arising, existing and for ceasing. In the case of ourselves, this becomes clear if we take an example-supposing that I eat some food that does not agree with me, this becomes a condition for the arising of pain in the body. It is 'a condition' because there are many others, such as the presence of pain-receptors, the proper functioning of the nervous system,-and so forth. Having arisen, that pain is likely to continue while the conditions giving rise to it persist. But when that food is ejected from the body, upwards or downwards, the original condition for producing pain has now ceased, and, provided that there are no complications, the body then feels well again.

According to Buddhist Teaching, there is no possibility of something being produced from nothing, for conditions always determine whatever is produced, created or happens. Nothing can arise by itself, not even the atoms and their particles-even they arise conditionally. For example, an eye perfect in itself is no use whatever if there is no light or if the nerve to the eye is damaged, or if there is nothing to see, which is the case in sensory deprivation experiments. All conditions must be fulfilled before it is possible to say 'I see such and such an object.' The same applies to the other senses and the mind. Thoughts do not arise unconditioned, they arise subject to conditions, they are caused by various other conditioned stimuli, both within and without the body and in the absence of these conditions producing them, they cannot arise. Supposing one suffers pain in the body and grief arises in the mind, then that pain is the primary physical cause for the mental grief. Or again, suppose that one sees someone whom one dislikes, then painful feeling may be produced in oneself, this in itself being a principal condition for the arising of hatred, anger and so on. A table full of delicious food perceived by way of the eye, the nose, the tongue and bodily contact of the food is likely to be the condition for the arising of pleasant feeling and that in turn leads on to the arising of greed. In such cases, one mentions only the principal conditions but of course, the conditions are really countless.

Another point to note here is that there is no arising of anything from a single cause. There is not a single thing which one can name, which arises due to only one cause, for conditions are always observed to be multiple in the arising of any phenomena whether large and complex ones like galaxies, or small and complex ones, like atoms. Also, arising and ceasing are found only in the present, for experience is only of the present time. Creation is therefore not an event of the distant past, nor does the doomsday of destruction lie somewhere in the future. Arising and ceasing are going on all around us all the time. Not only around us as well, for the constituents of our persons are in continuous flux, whether mental or physical, all arises dependent upon conditions and ceases when those conditions change.

Now the trouble is that usually we do not think about or understand this fact-that we are bundles of changing conditions. On the contrary, usually we suppose that there is some sort of 'me' hidden away in all this impermanence. There is a supposed 'me' who looks out from 'my' eyes, even a supposed 'me' who thinks 'my' thoughts. This kind of supposed 'me' gives rise to what might be called the 'innate view of I'. When one wakes up in the morning, the self-identification, which immediately takes place, is an example of this 'innate view of an I.'

But there is a more elaborate view of 'I' as when some religion or creed calls for belief in a permanent entity like a soul or atman. So people who believe in the existence of such a permanent entity are not only obstructed by the innate view of self but also by the superimposed concept of there being in reality such an entity. This belief in self does not permit one to see, as it flows on, the current of arising and ceasing, so one comes to view as one's own, as one's self, what is not really one's self (or oneself). There come into existence craving for the elements of personality, one's mind and body-and from this craving there arises dukkha. It is like a man seizing the tools of his trade and claiming that they are a part of himself. But when one comes to think about it, one apparently did not choose to be born with this present body and mind and most people do not choose when they will die. Birth and death are beyond the power of most people to will, because with them these events occur due to forces, which they do not control. Rather than using mind and body for something useful, most people are tugged here and there by the forces of desire, desires relating to body and desires of mind, which give no peace. Conditioned things like body and mind while they are grasped at, thinking them permanent and so forth, always bring dukkha (unsatisfactory experience). While such grasping and craving are there, one cannot expect to attain to permanent happiness, for all the time one stretches out attachment at "'Whatever has the nature to arise, all that has the nature to cease." From transitory things like this one can only expect transitory happiness. It is, of course, worthwhile gaining this happiness through the path of making Punna or beneficial actions but the wise person does not expect happiness to be lasting or unalloyed with dukkha.

Much can be done by just staying as unattached as circumstances allow, for the attitude of detachment decreases the amount of dukkha suffered. When one is practicing upon this path for the attainment of worldly happiness and is satisfied with it knowing full well that conditioned things are liable to change so that one's happiness is changed to dukkha, one must not expect any permanent happiness to be obtained. From the point of view of the super-mundane path of practice, it is said: "It is just dukkha that arises, just dukkha that ceases." This means that from this point of view everything conditioned which arises and passes away, even worldly happiness, is just dukkha. Why is this? Those who know that which does not arise and does not cease, the Unconditioned, or Nibbana, they have such experience as will cause them to be quite disenchanted with "Whatever has the nature to arise, all that has the nature to cease." Transient worldly happiness appears to all the great sages of Buddhist tradition headed by Lord Buddha, as a species of - dukkha since the happiness, which they have discovered, is perfect and permanent.

What about this perfect happiness of Nibbana? Nibbana, being unconditioned, never arises and never ceases. It cannot be upset not be taken away, for it neither comes nor goes. We have seen that conditioned phenomena known to us comprise "the all." When "the all" is not grasped, when there is no attempt to make it one's own, then there will be the attainment of freedom, of Nibbana, of Supreme Happiness. One might say since 'the all' equals all conditioned things including all of our known personality, therefore the Unconditioned must be some mysterious 'thing' outside or beyond our person. But it should not be understood in this way. Nibbana is the discovery, of the way the conditioned personality-elements really are. It is not enough for us to know intellectually that the constituents of our personality are impermanent, connected with dukkha and lacking an abiding soul, we have to penetrate to this ourselves through practice, if we wish to find the Supreme Happiness of Nibbana.

If we ourselves are complicated, that is, if our minds are heavily stained and our understanding is weak, then we have work to do learning the Dhamma, being sure how the Teaching applies to ourselves, endeavoring to see in our lives these conditioned elements arising and ceasing. Even though progress is slow, the burdens of pain and grief which are inevitable in beings clinging to mind and body as though owned, these burdens are lightened and made more bearable. So great is the fruit of striving to develop wisdom respecting one's own mind and body. On the other hand, those in whom wisdom is already very well developed do not need long courses of study or practice but through the sharpness of their faculties even a little Teaching is sufficient.

In the First Discourse taught by Lord Buddha, which may be read through quite comfortably within a few minutes, there are no elaborate descriptions of this Teaching. One finds only the bare bones and it was left to the wisdom of those who listened to supply the flesh. But it was enough for Venerable Kondanna who upon this Spartan fare penetrated to the heart of Dhamma by seeing: "Whatever has the nature to arise, all that has the nature to cease." Having become a Stream enterer by listening thus, he had only to listen to another discourse to discover complete Freedom, or Nibbana.

In another striking story of the early disciples of Lord Buddha we find again the power of wisdom emphasized. Two young Brahmins, Upatissa and Kolita, tired of the household life, went forth to homelessness and became religious mendicants under the ascetic Sañjaya. After some time, when they had learned all that he had to teach, they decided to look for other teachers. Sañjaya evidently could not show them the Way to Deathlessness or Nibbana since he had not attained it himself. The friends vowed to each other that whoever discovered the Path to the Deathless first; he should straightaway come and tell the other. When they went on their alms round in the morning and later in the day when perhaps they visited the debating halls found here and there in the towns, they would note the characteristics and behavior of the various ascetics that they met. One morning, Upatissa was collecting alms in the streets of the capital when he saw walking, with great dignity and grace, a monk clad in a yellow robe, and holding in his hands a round alms bowl. As he approached houses he made no sign that he desired food but just silently accepted whatever people were pleased to offer. His whole bearing spoke of wonderful composure, his eyes never straying and his foot never stumbling. Upatissa was certain that here was a man who if he had not found the Deathless, could at least point the Way. But then he reflected that it would not be proper to question this monk while he was upon his alms round. Better to wait until he had collected his food and returned to his dwelling outside the city. So Upatissa followed the monk whose name was Venerable Assaji, becoming all the more delighted, the longer he watched him. When he saw that Venerable Assaji had arrived at the place where he would take his meal, he prepared his own sitting-cloth for him and provided him with water, doing all the duties of a pupil towards his teacher. After exchanging the usual greetings of courtesy, Upatissa said, "Serene are your features, friend. Pure and bright is your complexion. Under whom, friend, have you gone forth as an ascetic? Who is your teacher and whose doctrine do you profess?" Assaji replied, "There is, friend, the Great Samana, a scion of the Sakyas and he is my teacher and his Dhamma I profess." Then Venerable Assaji was questioned again by Upatissa: "What does the Venerable One's Master teach?". And Venerable Assaji replied, "I am but new to the training, friend, it is not long since I went forth from home and I came but recently to this Teaching and Discipline. I cannot explain Dhamma in detail to you."

But Upatissa just requested that he explain it to the extent of his ability and in response Venerable Assaji uttered this stanza: In the Pali language it runs:

Ye dhamma hetuppabhava
Tesam hetum tathagato
Tesanca yo nirodho ca
Evam vadi mahasamano'ti.

(Vin. i. 39)

Which translated into English reads:

"Of Dhammas arising from a cause
The Tathagata (knows) that cause
And their cessation, (he knows):
Thus instructs the Great Samana."

Having heard this very celebrated verse. Upatissa became a Stream-enterer, that is, the insight-penetration came to him that, "Whatever has the nature to arise, all that has the nature to cease."

Now if we hear this verse even after learning the technical terms, which it contains, we do not tend to become Stream-enterers. This shows us the difference between a very alert mind, full of wisdom and able to penetrate very quickly into the nature of reality, and our usual minds dulled by delusion. In the above verse, Dhammas refers to all conditioned things, while 'Tathagata' is a word used of and by Lord Buddha to designate himself. 'Samana' means a religious person who leads a wandering life and who is trying to calm or has already calmed himself. So the verse would read in expanded form: 'The Enlightened One knows the causes of all conditioned events as they arise and as they cease.' If one consider this scrap of information relating to exterior events, it is not very remarkable, but then such an understanding would be wrong. The 'conditioned events' referred to are those arising and ceasing in one's own personality, at the preset time.

But it is only wisdom, which can penetrate to this arising and ceasing and thus free one from the burden of attachment to conditioned things. It is only wisdom which can lead one beyond birth and death-just one aspect of arising and ceasing,-to the Birth-less and the Deathless. It is only wisdom, which can free one from the bonds of the impermanent and fleeting phenomena of this world, to find the freedom of the unchanging state. From oppression by birth, old age, sickness and death, it is wisdom, which shows the way to that knowledge which is Nibbana where these things are not. From weariness with the changeful and un-restful phenomena here, it is wisdom, which points out the way to the Sublime Peace. From the darkness of ignorance it is wisdom, which illumines the Path leading to the eternal light. From the uncertainties of existence of being born here and there, it is wisdom, which indicates the unshaken security of Nibbana where birth, existence and death have no place. As people possessed of wisdom we should at least in this precious human life endeavor to discover in ourselves: "Whatever has the nature to arise, all that has the nature to cease." It will be for our everlasting happiness.

EVAM

Thus indeed it is.