Three Facts In The World What The Buddha Taught

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Venerable Monks, Ladies and gentle men,

Today, I will explain three facts in the world discovered and completely understood by the Buddha. Out of compassion, the Buddha taught three facts as gratification, danger and escape. I will now discuss each in turn.

What is the gratification found in the world?

The Buddha said that whatever joy and happiness found in the world, that is the gratification in the world. If there were no gratification in the world, beings would not become attached to life. But as there is gratification is to be found in sense enjoyment, people become attached to existence.

There are attractive things in the world such as money, power, health, publicity and success in life. They are forms of gratification because people are satisfied and happy to possess them. Subsequently, long life, beauty, happiness, fame and rebirth in heaven are desired. These desirable things are also subjects of gratification.

Worldly people are trying to possess material happiness in variety of ways. Non-Buddhists do prayer to a god in order to live a happy life and to go to heaven after death. Ordinary Buddhists do meritorious deeds with the expectation of reaping the benefits of worldly happiness.

The Buddha taught that one cannot expect something to happen by just making a wish or doing a prayer. He has to practice the way that produces the desired result. He said through the practice of generosity, one attains a prosperous life; through the observance of moral precepts, one lives a life of well-being; by practicing meditation, one achieves peace of mind. By following these three practices, one enjoys the gratification in the world.

The Buddha went in search of the gratification in the world. Whatever gratification there is in the world, that he has found; and in how far there is gratification in the world, that he has clearly seen by wisdom. The Buddha enjoyed world’s gratification before His enlightenment, when He was the prince Siddattha. He lived a comfortable life with beautiful many princesses for twenty nine years in the royal palace of Kapilavatthu what is known as Nepal now.

Although he lived a royal life, he was dissatisfied with it on seeing the dangers in the world such as old-age, decay, disease and death. Once he saw an old person, a sickly person, a dead one and an ascetic on the way to the royal park, he become disillusioned, and felt afraid of the world. This experience reminded him that there is not only gratification found in life, but a dangerous side to it. In deed, life is fragile. Death is permanent, life is impermanent. The happiness found in the world is fleeting, devoid of any substance. It is limited and it ends in suffering, All living things are under the danger of flood, fire, cruel ruler, robbers, and bad heirs. Everything is left behind after death. Seeing the disadvantages of life, he renounced his luxurious life in search of the truth which enables him to be freed from the dangers in the world.

The Buddha said that the removal and abandoning of desire and lust for the world, that is the escape from the world.” The escape is the ultimate happiness of Nibbana which literally means to blow out. Craving is extinguished like flame of fire at the moment when one has experienced Nibbana.

The Buddha exerted himself to escape from the world. He dwelled in the forest for six years to understand the meaning of life and to find away to escape from Samsaric existence. He practiced intense meditation to overcome craving, the root of suffering by seeing the danger in the world. When the Buddha attained Enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, he had rooted craving out. He achieved victory over attachment. He was so glad that he uttered a solemn utterance.

“Though many a birth I wandered in the Samsara, seeking, but not finding, the builder of the house. Sorrowful is it to be born again and again.” 153.

“O house-builder! Thou art seen. Thou build no house again. All thy rafters are broken. Thy ridge-pole is shattered. My mind has attained the unconditioned. Achieved is the end of craving.” 154.

I have somewhat discussed about the facts of the world, the gratification, danger and escape. Now I would like to explain how this discourse relates to the Fourfold Noble Truths according to the notes of commentaries. “Danger” indicates the truth of suffering; “gratification” indicates the truth of the origin (for pleasure is the stimulus for craving, the true origin of suffering); and “escape” indicates the truth of cessation of suffering, or Nibbana. Although the fourth truth, the truth of the path, is not explicitly mentioned in the triad, it is implied as the means of escape.

The eight noble path is the practice to control and overcome craving, the origin of suffering. Once craving is subdued, suffering won’t arise again. So, the meditator has to practice the path according to the method which is outlined by the Four Foundations of Mindfulness.

The Buddha said, “ Monks! this is the one way path for the purification of beings, for the surmounting of sorrow and lamentation, for the passing away of grief and suffering, for the attainment of the right path, for the realization of Nibbana, namely, the four foundations of mindfulness.

What are the four?

Here, monks, a monk dwells contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending, and mindful, having overcome longing and dejection in regard to the world. He dwells contemplating feelings in feelings, ardent, clearly comprehending, and mindful, having overcome longing and dejection in regard to the world. He dwells contemplating mind in mind, ardent, clearly comprehending, and mindful, having overcome longing and dejection in regard to the world. He dwells contemplating phenomena in phenomena, ardent, clearly comprehending, and mindful, having overcome longing and dejection in regard to the world.

Now I am going to discuss on the subject of mindfulness meditation which is a unique meditation practice. Today it is spreading in the world, allowing many people the opportunity to practice it. The late Most Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw, a great meditation master was my meditation teacher. He taught a practical meditation method according to the discourse of the four foundations of mindfulness.

The Venerable Sayadaw said that the meditator has to watch and contemplate the rising and falling nature of physical and mental phenomena taking place through six sense spheres-eye, ear, nose, tong, body and the mind. Upon seeing with his eyes, he has to observe the thought process of seeing which is arising and disappearing. Similarly when he is hearing, eating, smelling, touching, and thinking, he has to do the same.

Once practice progresses, the insight knowledge penetrates impermanent nature of the mind and body which are continuously arising and falling. When his insight strengthens, it is peaceful to be free from craving, detachment being the best of states. The Buddha teaches craving as the cause of suffering in this vicious cycle of rebirths known as Samsara.

The Most Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw introduces beginners to meditation practice with the rising and falling movement of the abdomen as primary meditation object. When breathing in, abdomen arises and when breathing out, abdomen sinks. These very apparent meditation objects are observed.

In the beginning, although the meditator is seeing the very form of the abdomen, he gradually comes to experience the arising and falling movement of it. By observing the sensation of movement, the characteristic of wind element, he is on the path of insight.
Smelling, tasting, touching and thinking process as each one of them is arising in him. When he sees an object, he must observe seeing phenomena until it disappears. He can note it mentally as ‘seeing, seeing, and seeing’. In the same manner, he has to observe hearing, smelling, eating, touching and thinking.

He will gradually experience that mental and physical activities are as coming and going continuously. They arise from an unknown place and disappear in an unseen destination. He sees that their appearance and disappearance are dependent on conditions. For example, the seeing consciousness arises dependent on the eye and visible object. The hearing arises dependent on the ear and sound, and so on.

Sitting Meditation

The practitioner has to sit with a relaxed mind, without tension. Then he has to observe the rising and falling movements of the abdomen which occur through normal breathing. He has to watch the whole process of the movements of the abdomen. If necessary, he can do it by mentally noting ‘rising, rising’ and ‘falling, falling’. In this way, he has to sit for thirty minutes. This is called ‘contemplation of the body.’

Perhaps, his mind wanders instead of observing the movements of the abdomen. It is a common experience for every meditator, do not feel overly concerned about it. Just note it saying mentally, “ wandering, wandering.” After two or three notes, he will find it has disappeared

Then he has to go back to the basic meditation object of the movement of the abdomen. He would have the problem of talking and chattering to himself regardless of whether he is sitting or walking. Actually, he is thinking of something which he has experienced in the past or something he is planning for future. He has to note the thoughts until they disappear. This is called ‘contemplation of the mind.’

When the practitioner meditates in a sitting position for a long time to meditate, he may experience unpleasant sensations such as piercing pain, numbness, burning. Whatever feeling that arises whether pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral, he has to observe it patiently until it disappears in its own accord. If he cannot bear it, he can change the posture he has already taken, slowly and mindfully. If he is depressed, unhappy, or feeling even-minded, he has to note it as it is. This is called contemplation of feeling. Feeling is an effective meditation object enabling the meditator to gain a strong concentration. Do not be discouraged when meditating on severe sensation. Gradually the impermanent nature of feeling reveals itself.

Walking Meditation

The walking meditation and sitting meditation are to be practiced alternately. He has to begin by noting on each step focusing his mind on the legs by looking at four foot distance. For example, when the right leg walks, he notes “right step” and when the left leg walks, he notes “left step”. In this way, he has to walk for ten minutes.
Then he has to make two mental notes for each step. When he lifts leg to walk, he notes “lifting, lifting, lifting” and when it drops, he notes “dropping, dropping, dropping”. In this way, he has to practice for ten minutes.

In the third stage, he has to walk with three mental notes for each step. While lifting the leg, he notes “lifting, lifting, lifting. On pushing forwards, he notes “forward, forward, forward.” When dropping the legs, he notes “ dropping, dropping, dropping.” In this way, he practices for ten minutes. The walking meditation lasts thirty minutes. A new meditator can do a one hour meditation session by sitting for thirty minutes and walking for thirty minutes. In this manner, he can meditate for many hours a day.

Standing Meditation

The practitioner should stand still placing both hands behind his back or on the abdomen holding each other. He should close his eyes slightly visualizing the standing posture from feet to head say mentally “standing, standing.” He experiences a burning sensation which arises from standing long on the floor. It is the time to contemplate the sensation. He can practice standing meditation as long as he likes.

By practicing Vipassana meditation regularly, he develops right mindfulness. The development of right mindfulness produces right concentration. The concentration results in insight knowledge which sees and penetrates the changing nature of mind and body. The meditator experiences mind and body as they really are, perceiving the characteristic of the rising and falling, appearing and disappearing. At the moment, there is no room for attachment and frustration to arise in his mind. He lives in peace of mind.

Through practicing insight meditation, he is free from the notions of “I”, “you”, “he”, “she”, etc. which are conceptual ideas based on the conventional truth. Then he won’t have the idea “I am breathing”, “I am walking”, “I am seeing”, “I am hearing” and so forth. He experiences just the action of breathing, rising, falling, walking, seeing, and hearing, instead. He learns to see mental and physical phenomenon objectively, not subjectively. In reality, there are actions, but no doer. The following analogy seems relevant to meditation experience.

As a driver who is effortlessly driving a car on a highway, he won’t conceptualize there is a person driving, he just feel that driving is going on. In the same way, the meditator realizes that the notion of ‘I’ is just a false view regarding personality belief that perceives mind and body as I, you, man, and so on. There is nothing but the arising and falling of empty physical and mental phenomenon. This is a wrong view that there is a soul causes craving to arise, the origin of suffering.

Then the advanced meditator understands distinctly about two types of truths-ultimate and conventional. He knows mind and body to be ultimate truths because they are experienced through six sense bases. Concepts and names are conventional truths. They are used only for purposes of communication. They are not experienced as ultimately realizes through the six sense bases.

He has found mind and body functioning together, mind takes an object but not the body. Both are in a stake of continuous flax, rising and falling approximately billion times per second. The Buddha said, “Whatever is impermanent is in fact suffering, whatever suffering is devoid of a soul. Thus, we should not view mind and body as mine, “I am, or “my Soul.” This is called “Insight Knowledge” which overcomes the defilements such as covetousness, repugnance and wrong view. This is the way to live noble lives. Let’s practice Insight meditation in order to live harmoniously with others and ourselves.

May you all practice mindfulness meditation.

May you all realize the Four fold Noble Truth.

Ven. Ashin Indaka
Sept. 27, 2008