Keep the Buddha word simple - too easy to make it hard

B A S I C S 렁 B U D D H I S M <inside>

Old age.

WHY?
The Buddha was born into almost ideal circumstances - rich, loving family, education, health, etc. Still he felt dissatisfaction. His parents tried to protect him from the unpleasant side of life (as most parents will - in their own loving, frustrating way). Eventually he went into the town and, although there were many attractive things, he saw - supposedly for the first time - old age, sickness and death. Not so attractive but very sobering and cause for reflection. At the age of 29 he left home to search for an alternative to the round of worldly pleasures; not such an uncommon thing to do in India. That he succeeded is perhaps not such a wonder but that he was able to present his realisation with such simplicity and clarity so that his teaching has survived 2500 years is almost miraculous.

A contemporary Indian Sadhu.

EARLY TEACHINGS:
The first teaching the Buddha gave after his enlightenment is now called 'The Dhamma Cakka Sutta' [the turning (setting in motion) of the wheel of Truth]. It is generally considered that this teaching contains the essence of Buddhist thought and it should be studied if one is to grasp the subtleties of later teachings - which are largely an expansion of the basic principles found in this sutta. It introduces the Middle Way, the five aggregates, the Eightfold Path and the main thrust, The Four Noble Truths - a simple summary on which the whole of Buddhism rests.
The second teaching - to the same group of five - was the 'Anatta Lakkhana' sutta [the discourse on the not-self characteristic]. This is a very sublte principle to grasp but it is what makes the Buddha's teaching unique - as opposed to just another variant of Hinduism.

The Buddha's first teaching.

Not you.

FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS:
The first truth points to the truth of universal suffering - both physial and mental. "Birth, ageing, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair, association with the loathed, separation from the loved, not getting what one wants - all this is suffering." Does this relate to any part of your life? Is this true?
The second truth proposes a cause - not of the "Birth, ageing, sickness ... etc." but of the suffering that usually accompanies it. The cause is craving (lust, greed, attachment, desire, etc.). We tend to want the things that will bring pleasant feeling and we want to get rid of the things that will bring unpleasant feeling. Reflecting on the impermanent nature of all-things one can see that there is no-thing that can bring true and lasting happiness. Things are as they are, and feelings arise and pass away, but it is this restless craving that drives us on, seeking "ever-fresh delight", that is the root of this suffering.
E.g.: You don't like the shape of some part of your body? It may/will change (exercise, operation, age) but can you be at peace with it NOW or does it keep nagging at your mind 'not good enough!, not good enough!' Contentment is not apathy, or fatalism it is tolerating the way things are 'now' - and allowing that they will change; either through applied intention (guided by wisdom not desire) or just the movement of nature.
The third truth provides the solution. If the cause is craving - holding onto things, grasping, trying (wanting) to have things permanent - then all one has to do is stop craving. Want to give up smoking? Stop wanting the stuff. Easier said than done but the truth of this is obvious. "The Noble Truth of the cessation of suffering is the remainderless fading and ceasing, the giving up, relinquishing, letting go and rejecting of craving." At least that's what the Buddha said .
The fourth truth outlines a path of practice. Right Understanding - Right Thought (or intention) - Right Speech - Right Action - Right Livelihood - Right Effort - Right Mindfulness - Right Concentration. A huge amount of detail lays under each of these eight headings [see: TEACHINGS] but briefly:
Having gleaned some understanding of the four noble truths - one allows this understanding to inform one's thoughts and intentions - through right thoughts so one develops right speech and action (livelihood is an 'act') - living upright in the world one can apply effort toward mental tendencies - applying effort to the mind brings awareness of the mind (mind-full-ness) - this awareness highlights the need to strengthen the mental faculties (through concentration).

NOT-SELF:
A tricky little number to unravel. The original sutta says something like:
"If body were indeed me or mine then surely I could say: 'body be this way, body be that way, cease this illness now.' If mind were indeed me or mine then surely I could say: 'mind be this way, mind be that way, cease this confusion now.' Both body and mind are impermanent. What is impermanent and subject to change is not (reliably) pleasant and it is not fitting to regard what is impermanent and unpleasant as 'This is mine, this is what I am, this is my self'."
A personal reflection:
On the immediate, experiential level Ican know only this, the present moment. When there is contact with a sense object, suggesting the possibility of pleasure, there is a craving for, a wanting to own, that pleasure (object). There is then the craving to become (the owner of) that pleasure. This means, conversely, that I crave to un-become my present state. Inherent in: 'wanting-to-be-that' is: 'not-wanting-to-be-this'. This movement is an inclination to the not-yet-existing future, and/or from the has-been past, and is me 'becoming'. Thus is time born; me now and me 'later'. Because this present reality is indeed "impermanent and subject to change" the promise of "ever-fresh delight"is always frustrating truth - because we can never get there. The donkey can see and smell the carrot on the stick but never gets to eat it. And even if it did? What then?
The trap we fall into is creating self-identity in relation to the objects - the body, mind, carrot, money, food . . . The Buddha was often then pressed: 'so then Buddha, if the self is not those things then what is it?'
All the buddha would say "I teach suffering, its cause and its cessation." Frustrating isn't it? We want some 'thing' that we can identify with but his emphasis was always on direct experience - which words misrepresent.

MEDITATION:
The cycles of craving and self-creation we get caught in are difficult to see clearly - they are so much a part of our reality. How is the Truth to be seen? The difficulty is that it is the confused mind that is the basic tool for achieving non-confusion. Like trying to wash in dirty water. What should always be remembered is that the mind and the body are conditioned forms in nature and that we can use conditions to change conditions. This is the application of will-power - intention, determination. So, lets begin with the last three steps of the Eigthfold path [see: TEACHINGS for where the other five fit in].
Having got some insight into suffering there is some impetus to make effort - against the cause (craving). It is a very quick and subtle movement of the mind and the first step is to slow everything down a bit. STOP. Sit down. Relax.
The suggested movement is from complexity (how most people live their lives) toward simplicity. This doesn't mean taking up a peasant existence as it is the internal world we are exploring. By closing your eyes you simplify visual consciousness. By keeping the body still you simplify tactile consciousness. There are limitations to this but it is a significant start. Depending on how much complexity you are starting with depends how easy this is. Rather than eyes closed perhaps gazing at a flower is a more reasonable transition? With the mind as one of the senses, stopping thought is a possibility. Again, depending on how much complexity (ie habitual thought) you are starting with, depends how easy this is. Instead of a flower you could use a mental object to focus the mind on - a visualisation, either a single thought - a word or phrase (but keep it simple!)). A common object used is the breath as it is natural, rhythmical, calming. Whatever object you choose stay with that for as long as you can. When the mind wanders off, gently bring it back to the object. Don't make the object just another thing to 'get', or force yourself to 'become' peaceful. Choose a nice object and just enjoy being with it.
The result of such a sustained, simple activity is usually calmness.

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