R  E  S  O  U   R  C  E  S

Practice - Teaching

PRACTICE:

A brief discussion on the title of the sutta "Dhammacakka":
It is comprised of two words, dhamma and cakka. The first, in this context, is understood to refer to the truth (of reality) or to doctrine. The P.T.S translation as ‘norm' is presumably a reference to normality, (that which is true, not distorted). It is occasionally given more specific meaning by being referred to as Buddhadhamma, the doctrine of the Buddha. Cakka is commonly translated as 'wheel'; and contains a sense of motion, of turning. I prefer the title rendered as "Setting in motion the wheel of Truth."

The two extremes were quite familiar to the Buddha. The first, sensual indulgence, experienced as a prince, and the second, mortification of the body, during the six years of ascetic practice prior to his enlightenment. The Pali words used to describe the two are very similar, with one notable exception: the first is judged to be "inferior and despicable" (hino ). This would imply that the second holds some merit; perhaps in consideration of the effort of denial, coupled with it's assumed goal of liberation. Those who pursue the first do so with the idea of an impermanent soul and either reject consequences or support the nihilistic idea - "death is the end of all, eat, drink and be merry." Those who pursue the second hold the idea of a permanent soul, one's true being, caged in a body. They feel that by minimising the body, truth must proportionately increase to the point of being released . The Buddha established a balance between these two which has evolved as a comprehensive philosophy and system of practice. It was - "knowledge of this middle path which gave vision, knowledge, calm, special kowledge, enlightenment, nibbana." What has come to be the philosophical hallmark of Buddhism is the principle of impersonality . The insight of the Buddha under the Bodhi tree was not a lineal, mid-point positioning of a soul living moderately, (semi-permanently?), but a transcendence of this whole way of thinking. The concept of the ownerlessness of existence, i.e. of the five groups, is expanded in the next section.

TEACHING

The Buddha teaching his 5 friends.

The new doctrine.
This section begins "what is that middle path? It is the eightfold path." In the Pali canon there is a reference giving; "the interpretations which the ancients used to put upon the eight 'fitnesses' of the way." The list of factors that we find in the sutta as the eightfold path is quite likely an development of these or similar principles common at the time. In the absence here of any explanation as to what these terms might mean it must be assumed that they were not entirely unfamiliar. The eightfold path is a standard reference point throughout the canon; being explained and categorised in considerable detail. It is often summarised as three groups:- morality, concentration, and wisdom.

The sequence of teaching is interesting here. The eightfold path is in fact one of the four truths yet to come. The offering of a familiar framework first was perhaps intended to soften the minds of the five monks prior to leading them to less familiar thoughts. This is contrasted with the earlier and very direct delivery to Upaka. So finally we arrive at the heart of this sutta, the four noble truths .

• The first truth is the truth of 'ill'. The Pali word is dukkha and there are many translations, none of which in English truly represent the meaning. The Buddha says "in this noble truth of dukkha described by me, immeasurable are the shades and details, immeasurable the implications ". The word most commonly used is 'suffering' but this doesn't really convey the full meaning. The word should awaken in our minds the underlying instability, unsatisfactoriness and potential misery inherent in existence. The whole purpose of the teaching is the ending of this dukkha; not by ending existence on the sensual level but on the personal, possessive level. The sutta gives a list of examples of dukkha and summarises them "in a word" as "this body, the five groups based on grasping ". These five groups , being introduced here for the first time as a teaching, must have been a generally accepted way of classifying existence, here regarded from an experiential point of view. They sum up all physical and mental phenomena, i.e. sensual existence/experience, and the collective term is used to refer to:- all there is, the world, me . As regards the teaching the key factor is 'grasping'. It is that tendency to hold or grip 'the world' as a personal possession, demanding that it conform to my preferences.

The relationship implied in this grasping is that- 1, there is me; 2, there is this existence; 3, it is mine to be how I want it to be.
The final three items in the sutta list make the shortcomings of this way of thinking clear. "Not to get what one wants is dukkha."

• The second truth, the cause of ill, is a more explicit expansion of the idea behind grasping. The Pali term used is 'tanha ' and its usual translation is 'craving'.
The sutta mentions three forms of craving:
for sensual pleasure;
for becoming;
for un-becoming .
The meaning of these last two is often confused by being rendered variably as either birth or rebirth. As it is a key term in Buddhist thought I will offer my understanding of it in this context. On the immediate, experiential level I know only 'this', the present moment. When there is contact with a sense object suggesting the possibility of pleasure, there is likely 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 (of not having/being 'that'). Inherent in wanting-to-be-that is not-wanting-to-be-this. This movement is an inclination to the not-yet-existing future, or past, and is 'becoming'. Thus is time born; me now and me 'later'. I will be, then I am born as that. Becoming is birth, un-becoming is death. The 'object' we perceive as being the most likely source of pleasure is ourselves. This body/mind is perceived as being mine, for me; and of course it will be pleasant. However this 'me' is no more than another (mental) 'object' craved. The three forms of craving are coincident, they can be seen sequentially but arise simultaneously.

• The third truth is the corollary of the second and is so obvious one wonders at its inclusion. A present day examination of the scriptures reveals a vast network of explanation and detail, the comprehension or realisation of which seems impossible. However underpinning all these teachings are the four noble truths. The profound simplicity of this third truth is often overlooked. We are so enmeshed in 'becoming' and acquisition that an alternative way of being seems inconceivable. The way out of suffering, the way to freedom, is not to become free but simply to be free. All craving, all becoming, is birth, is death, is suffering. The problem lies not in the things of the world but in our relationship to them; we want to acquire them, to own them. In this truth the Buddha is saying be a non-owner. The "giving up, forsaking, and releasing" that sums up this truth in the sutta is specifically connected to the five groups of grasping that sums up the first truth. The Buddha is saying don't take them personally, they are not you, let them all go. It's that simple!!! Unfortunately our selfish and possessive grip is sufferingly tight and some means of relaxing is required.

• The fourth truth provides this means. I enjoy the inference contained in the term "fitnesses of the way" referred to at the beginning of this section. Implied in fitness is flexibility and relaxation; not attained to however without some effort and discipline. Having led the five monks through some very unfamiliar philosophical territory he now leads them back and finishes this section on more familiar ground, i.e. - the eightfold path.