Eventually he escaped from the palace and became a wandering ascetic going from one spiritual teacher to another but never finding one who was completely enlightened. After six years he gave up the ascetic torture of his body, ate, bathed, and went into deep meditation under the Bodhi tree on the banks of the Neranjara river. On the eighth day he was completely enlightened at the moment when he saw the morning star rise. He stayed in the area for about seven weeks. Then he journeyed out to find his old teachers, Alarma Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputra. He was confident that they would attain enlightenment right away. Unfortunately they had both passed away.1 Instead he went to Benares (also known as Varanasi), to teach the five ascetics that he had once practiced with. After finding his old friends he spoke this sutra:
Thus have I heard: Once, when the Blessed One was dwelling in Benares, at the Deer Park in Rsivadana, he spoke to the "Fortunate Five," the group of elders who were his first disciples.2
Every sutra begins with the phrase "Thus have I heard." At the time of the Buddha none of the sutras were written down. The monks memorized the sutras and chanted them together to help with the memorization. The authority on the sutras after Buddha's death was his attendant Ananda. In addition to the sutras, Ananda memorized any stories people told about the Buddha and some of the other monks.
The "Fortunate Five" had done ascetic practices during the previous six years with Siddartha, and had seen right after they met him the first time, that he had great potential and watched him quickly master the ascetic and mediation practices of the period. However when he realized that the ascetic path was too extreme they were very disappointed. They were proud of their asceticism and were convinced that transcending the body's needs was the only path to enlightenment. Before the Buddha arrived at Deer Park, they were told that he was coming. They decided to ignore him, and not offer him a seat or any water. To them he had forsaken the only true path, and paid too much attention to the needs of his body. However when they saw him walking towards them they could see that he had had some powerful experience and was glowing with realization. They prepared a seat for him, gave him some water, and asked him to tell them what had happened. He told them that he had become enlightened, and that he could teach them how to do it. Since they wanted to learn about the realization he had experienced, they said to him, "We will listen.".3 In the sutras it became a tradition for someone to ask the Buddha, or a disciple to speak by asking a question or making a request to hear the dharma. This tradition made has affected how Buddhism has spread from India. For the most part Buddhism has not been evangelical. Like the Buddha, teachers usually don’t offer to teach unless requested. Buddha continued:
"Monks," he said, "for one who has wandered forth, there are two extremes. What two? On the one hand, there is attachment to sensual pleasures; this is vulgar, common, ignoble, purposeless, not conducive to a chaste and studious life, to disgust with the world, to aversion from passion, to cessation, monkhood, enlightenment or nirvana.
This is the extreme that Buddha experienced growing up in his father's palace in Kapilavastu. He was saying here that this lifestyle was self-perpetuating. It was an easy trap to be stuck in. In it the idealized future was simply more pleasure and possessions. Such a person was never satisfied and always wanted more.
"On the other hand, there is addiction to exhausting the self through asceticism; this is suffering, ignoble, and purposeless.
This was the path the ascetics were on. This also was self-perpetuating. In it the ideal future was to completely transcend the body by not giving into desires to sustain it. Essentially the body was seen as an evil pleasure to be given up in order to live only on a spiritual level.
"Monks, for one who has wandered forth, these are the two extremes.
Here Buddha is stating that these two options were the ones that presented themselves for those wishing to live a spiritual life and attain enlightenment. There was either religion as a scholarly pursuit or as a priest in the rich temples, or the tortuous life of an ascetic.
A story is often told that when Buddha was still an ascetic he was sitting under a tree near the river meditating. Along the river came a small boat with a musician and his student on board. As the student was tuning his guitar, his teacher told him that if he tunes a string too tight it will break, and if he tunes it too loose the guitar will not play. When he heard this, he realized that the ascetic life was too tight, and that he needed to take care of his body in order for it not to distract his mind from his meditation.
"Staying with the Tathagata’s Noble Doctrine and Disciple, away from both extremes, is the middle course,
Here is the middle way, much like the story immediately above. "Tathagata" means the "thus gone one" ( or one who experienced cessation) which was the title the Buddha used to refer to himself.
"fully realized (by the Buddha), bringing about insight, and conducive to tranquility, disgust with the world, aversion from passion, cessation, monkhood, enlightenment, and nirvana….
Here he is emphasizing a kind of balance. The "tranquility" is living in equanimity. By "disgust with the world" he means the realization that beings are just treading the wheel of life over and over, that is being born, dying, and being born again (reincarnating), only to suffer during each life. "Aversion from passion" means to no longer be controlled by your passions. It means to consider the consequences and effects of your actions, rather than act on a whim. "Cessation" is the ending of the cycle of birth and death. "Monkhood" refers to going from home to homelessness in the pursuit of a spiritual life.
"Furthermore, monks, there are Four Noble Truths. What four? The Noble Truth of suffering, the Noble Truth of origination of suffering, the Noble Truth of the cessation of suffering, and the Noble Truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering.
The Four Noble Truths, which as you will see include the Eightfold Path, are considered the backbone of practice and the basics that all schools of Buddhism follow.
"Now, monks, what is the Noble Truth of suffering? Just this: Birth is suffering, old age is suffering, sickness is suffering, death is suffering.
Old age, sickness, and death are the first three sights that I mentioned earlier. These three plus the prince seeing a wandering mendicant are considered the Four Sights. When the prince saw the mendicant, and found out that the man had renounced his life in order to attain enlightenment and help all beings escape the lifecycle of suffering (samsara), he decided he must renounce the world too. "Birth" is here above because anyone who is born experiences suffering beginning with leaving the womb for the cold world.
"Suffering" is the usual English translation of "dukha." "Dukha" means "bad wheel-hole." This life is often like an uncomfortable ride in a wagon with a badly made wheel.
"Involvement with what is unpleasant is suffering. Separation from what is pleasant is suffering. Also, not getting what one wants and strives for is suffering. And Form is suffering, feeling is suffering, perception is suffering, karmic constituents are suffering, consciousness is suffering; in sum, these five agglomerations, which are the basis of clinging to existence, are suffering. This, monks, is the Noble Truth of suffering.
In speaking about the "five agglomerations," which are often called the five "skandhas," Buddha is explaining that suffering is caused by our attachment to the world we perceive. In Buddhism the world is said to be actually empty. It is "created" by our own mind. "The mind is creator and created."4 That is, our own perceptions create it and then we cling to the world we created. This attachment is especially dangerous because we see the world as separate from ourselves. In fact the world and ourselves are one because there is no thing that is I, or me. This is the concept of egolessness that is central to Buddhism. Therefore "clinging to existence" is being attached to our ego, or being egoistic.
"And what is the Noble Truth of the origination of suffering? It is the thirst for further existence, which comes along with pleasure and passion and brings passing enjoyment here and there. This, monks, is the Noble Truth of the origination of suffering.
In general we are controlled by what we want. We are often controlled by what we think we need. Buddha is also saying that the thirst we have for living forever keeps us coming back life after life to experience suffering. The very fact of being born creates suffering. We may have some happiness, but we always experience suffering and seldom are we satisfied with the happiness we are lucky enough to experience.
The types of suffering are usually expressed as three: The suffering of suffering- On top of the suffering of existing ( all pervasive suffering), we experience more suffering. This suffering can be physical or mental5, and can build upon an initial experience of suffering. For example, making a mistake that causes unpleasantness, and getting angry with our selves for doing it.
The suffering of change(alternation)- This manifests itself in three ways:
-thinking that getting something we want will make us happy
-getting things we don't want
-getting things we want and then still not being satisfied
The suffering of existence(all-pervasive)-this is the pain experienced in being born, in everyday life, and dying.
"And what is the Noble Truth of the cessation of suffering? It is this: the destruction without remainder of this very thirst for further existence, which comes along with pleasure and passion, bringing passing enjoyment here and there. It is without passion. It is cessation, forsaking, abandoning, renunciation. This, monks, is the Noble Truth of the cessation of suffering.
In this part of the sutra Buddha is explaining that if we end desire, we will no longer experience suffering. "Cessation" is the end and absence of our attachment to this world and the desire that keeps it going. "Forsaking" is giving it up. "Forsaking" and "abandoning" happen sometime after opening your mind to realizing that the world is created by our desires.
"Renunciation" is giving up our clinging or attachment. It is giving up not only material things but also mental formations (or creations) that we usually think of as existing solidly. This goes along with the Buddhist notion of impermanence. In Buddhism nothing is permanent. Everything we see or think is only temporary, and its very temporariness makes it non-existent ultimately. Just as a building eventually crumbles to dust, so does our body. Also in our mind thoughts arise, then disappear as we think of something else.
"And what is the Noble Truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering? Just this: the Eightfold Noble Path, consisting of right views, right intention, right effort, right action, right livelihood, right speech, right mindfulness, right meditation. This, monks, is the Noble Truth leading to the cessation of suffering.
Here is Buddha's guide to how to be a good honest person and use your life to its most helpful extent. "Right views" means to have correct thoughts and opinions. Unfortunately no one can tell you what these are. Like the other seven parts of the Eightfold Path you must find each of these out for yourself. Basically it could be said to mean having consideration for others and thinking of yourself at the same time as not being separate from existence. "Right intention" means doing things with the intention of helping others or of making it easier for you to help others. "Right effort" is making an effort to become enlightened in order to teach others. "Right action" is doing things that do not cause harm to others, but hopefully help them to be happy. "Right livelihood" is doing work that is of service to all beings, doesn't hurt people or encourage attachment, or basically causes no harm. "Right speech" is speaking only the truth and only when helpful or necessary. It is also avoiding gossip or harsh words to anyone. "Right mindfulness" is considering the effects or consequences of your actions, and doing things carefully so as not to waste energy. "Right meditation" is meditating skillfully in order to become enlightened with no expectations of benefit to yourself. So the Eightfold Path is a guide to how to live your life and also to becoming enlightened not only in mind but also in conduct.
"‘This is suffering…. This is the origination of suffering…. This is the cessation of suffering…. This is the way that leads to the cessation of suffering’: monks, from these basic mental realizations, according to doctrines that were not handed down from previous teachers, there were produced in me knowledge, insight, understanding, enlightenment, intelligence, and wisdom; illumination became manifest.
Here Buddha is indicating that these ideas were not taught to him by a teacher, but revealed to him as he discovered his own buddha-nature. Since there is nothing outside of oneself, then enlightenment is a process of uncovering the realization inside of you. Buddha is not bragging here but this came to be understood as meaning that we are already enlightened we just have to realize it. Ultimately enlightenment is achieved on our own just as Buddha's was. We are lucky to have access to teachers, but a teacher doesn’t make our obstacles to enlightenment disappear. We must do that ourselves. We cannot completely rely on outside help.6
Many statues of Buddha show him touching the earth with one hand. It is said that before he became completely enlightened, while he was sitting beneath the Bodhi tree, the mythological personification of evil (Mara) asked him that if he became enlightened who would confirm it since he had no teacher who was enlightened. Buddha indicated that the earth will testify to his enlightenment.
"This Noble Truth of suffering is to be thoroughly known…. This origination of suffering is to be given up…. This Noble Truth of the cessation of suffering is to be realized….This Noble Truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering is to be cultivated’: monks, from this basic mental realization, according to doctrines that were not handed down from previous teachers, there were produced in me knowledge, insight, understanding, enlightenment, intelligence, and wisdom; illumination became manifest.
Here Buddha shows how one can progress through the Four Noble Truths and onto the Eightfold Path.
"This Noble Truth of suffering has come to be known thoroughly…. This origination of suffering has been given up…. This Noble Truth of the cessation of suffering has been realized….This Noble Truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering has been actualized’: monks, from this basic mental realization, according to doctrines that were not handed down from previous teachers, there were produced in me knowledge, insight, understanding, enlightenment, intelligence, and wisdom; illumination became manifest.
The above points out that since he achieved enlightenment through this method so can others.
"And monks, as long as I did not perceive, with right wisdom, these Four Noble Truths as they are, thrice-turned and in their twelve aspects, I could not claim to have fully attained unsurpassed complete enlightenment, nor would there be produced knowledge in me, nor would I have realized certain emancipation of the mind. But since, monks, I did perceive, with right wisdom, these Four Noble Truths as they are, thrice-turned and in their twelve aspects, I know I have fully attained unsurpassed complete enlightenment. Knowledge was produced in me, and I did realize certain emancipation of the mind, liberation through wisdom."
Here he emphasizes how the holistic nature of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path convinced him that he had experienced complete enlightenment.
Thus the Buddha spoke while residing in Benares, at the Deer Park in Rsivadana. And hearing this explanation, the Venerable Ajnata Kaundinya’s understanding was awakened, and he attained the perfectly pure, pristine, unstained Dharma-eye into the nature of things….
After Buddha spoke this sermon it is said that one of the five ascetics became enlightened. The ascetics practices had prepared their minds for this teaching though only one of them was completely open to the ideas presented. Only the ascetic Kaundinya was sufficiently unattached to his ascetic practices, and at the appropriate level of skill in meditation and especially listening with no preconceptions. He was the first follower to become an arhat ( one who has attained liberation from existence). During the weeks immediately following the other five also realized the truth of Buddha’s teachings and became his first real disciples.7 Now the community of followers or "sangha" came into being.
Buddha continued to teach until his death at the age of eighty. When he died it is said that he entered parinirvana, or the state wherein he became one with all things and escaped the suffering of the continuous cycle of birth and death.
Notes:
1 Old Path, White Clouds, Thich Nhat Hanh, pg. 140
2 The Experience of Buddhism, John Strong, ed., pg.32-34
3 Three Jewels lecture, The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, 9/29/99
4 "Breeze of Simplicity" lecture, The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, 11/6/99
5 Three Jewels lecture, The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, 11/10/99
6 "Breeze of Simplicity" lecture, The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, 11/5/99
7 "Breeze of Simplicity" lecture, The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, 11/5/99
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