BuddhaSasana Home Page
English Section
THE WORD OF THE BUDDHA
Venerable Nyanatiloka Mahathera
[TOC] [Prev] [Next] [Bottom]I. The Noble Truth of SufferingWhat, now, is the Noble Truth of Suffering? Birth is suffering; Decay is suffering; Death is suffering; Sorrow, Lamentation, Pain, Grief, and Despair are suffering; not to get what one desires, is suffering; in short: the Five Groups of Existence are suffering. What, now, is Birth? The birth of beings belonging to this or that order of beings, their being born, their conception and springing into existence, the manifestation of the Groups of Existence, the arising of sense activity: this is called birth. And what is Decay? The decay of beings belonging to this or that order of beings; their becoming aged, frail, grey, and wrinkled; the failing of their vital force, the wearing out of the senses: this is called decay. And what is Death? The departing and vanishing of beings out of this or that order of beings. their destruction, disappearance, death, the completion of their life-period, dissolution of the Groups of Existence, the discarding of the body: this is called death. And what is Sorrow? The sorrow arising through this or that loss or misfortune which one encounters, the worrying oneself, the state of being alarmed, inward sorrow, inward woe: this is called sorrow. And what is Lamentation? Whatsoever, through this or that loss or misfortune which befalls one, is wail and lament, wailing and lamenting, the state of woe and lamentation: this is called lamentation. And what is Pain? The bodily pain and unpleasantness, the painful and unpleasant feeling produced by bodily impression: this is called pain. And what is Grief? The mental pain and unpleasantness, the painful and unpleasant feeling produced by mental impression: this is called grief. And what is Despair? Distress and despair arising through this or that loss or misfortune which one encounters: distressfulness, and desperation: this is called despair. And what is the 'Suffering of not getting what one desires'? To beings subject to birth there comes the desire; 'O, that we were not subject to birth! O, that no new birth was before us!' Subject to decay, disease, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair, the desire comes to them: 'O, that we were not subject to these things! O, that these things were not before us!' But this cannot be got by mere desiring; and not to get what one desires, is suffering. The Five Khandhas, or Groups of ExistenceAnd what, in brief, are the Five Groups of Existence? They are corporeality, feeling, perception, (mental) formations, and consciousness. All corporeal phenomena, whether past, present or future, one's own or external, gross or subtle, lofty or low, far or near, all belong to the Group of Corporeality; all feelings belong to the Group of Feeling; all perceptions belong to the Group of Perception; all mental formations belong to the Group of Formations; all consciousness belongs to the Group of Consciousness.
The Group of Corporeality(ruupa-khandha)What, now, is the 'Group of Corporeality?' It is the four primary elements, and corporeality derived from them. The Four ElementsAnd what are the four Primary Elements? They are the Solid Element, the Fluid Element, the Heating Element, the Vibrating (Windy) Element.
1. What, now, is the 'Solid Element' (pathavii-dhaatu)? The solid element may be one's own, or it may be external. And what is one's own solid element? Whatever in one's own person or body there exists of karmically acquired hardness, firmness, such as the hairs of head and body, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs, stomach, bowels, mesentery, excrement and so on-this is called one's own solid element. Now, whether it be one's own solid element, or whether it be the external solid element, they are both merely the solid element. And one should. understand, according to reality and true wisdom, 'This does not belong to me; this am I not; this is not my Ego'. 2. What, now, is the 'Fluid Element' (aapo-dhaatu)? The fluid element may be one's own, or it may be external. And what is one's own fluid element? Whatever in one's own person or body there exists of karmically acquired liquidity or fluidity, such as bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, skin-grease, saliva, nasal mucus, oil of the joints, urine, and so on-this is called one's own fluid element. Now, whether it be one's own fluid element, or whether it be the external fluid element, they are both merely the fluid element. And one should understand, according to reality and true wisdom, 'This does not belong to me; this am I not; this is not my Ego'. 3. What, now, is the 'Heating Element' (tejo-dhaatu)? The heating element may be one's own, or it may be external. And what is one's own heating element? Whatever in one's own person or body there exists of karmically acquired heat or hotness, such as that whereby one is heated, consumed, scorched, whereby that which has been eaten, drunk, chewed, or tasted, is fully digested, and so on-this is called one's own heating element. Now, whether it be one's own heating element, or whether it be the external heating element, they are both merely the heating element. And one should understand, according to reality and true wisdom, 'This does not belong to me; this am I not; this is not my Ego'. 4. What, now, is the 'Vibrating (Windy) Element' (vaayo-dhaatu)? The vibrating element may be one's own, or it may be external. And what is one's own vibrating element? What in one's own person or body there exists of karmically acquired wind or windiness, such as the upward-going and downward-going winds, the winds of stomach and intestines, the wind permeating all the limbs, in-breathing and out-breathing, and so on-this is called one's own vibrating element. Now, whether it be one's own vibrating element or whether it be the external vibrating element, they are both merely the vibrating element. And one should understand, according to reality and true wisdom, 'This does not belong to me; this am I not; this is not my Ego.' Just as one calls 'hut' the circumscribed space which comes to be by means of wood and rushes, reeds, and clay, even so we call 'body' the circumscribed space that comes to be by means of bones and sinews, flesh and skin. The Group of Feeling(vedanaa-khandha)There are three kinds of Feeling: pleasant, unpleasant, and neither pleasant nor unpleasant (indifferent). The Group of Perception(sa~n~naa-khandha)What, now, is Perception? There are six classes of perception: perception of forms, sounds, odors, tastes, bodily impressions, and of mental objects. The Group Of Mental Formations(sankhaara-khandha)What, now, are Mental Formations? There are six classes of volitions (cetanaa): will directed to forms (ruupa-cetanaa), to sounds, odors, tastes, bodily impressions, and to mental objects.
The Group Of Consciousness(vi~n~naa.na-khandha)What, now, is consciousness? There are six classes of consciousness: consciousness of forms, sounds, odors, tastes, bodily impressions, and of mental objects (lit.: eye-conscious-ness, ear-consciousness, etc.). Dependent Origination Of ConsciousnessNow, though one's eye be intact, yet if the external forms do not fall within the field of vision, and no corresponding conjunction (of eye and forms) takes place, in that case there occurs no formation of the corresponding aspect of consciousness. Or, though one's eye be intact, and the external forms fall within the field of vision, yet if no corresponding conjunction takes place; in that case also there occurs no formation of the corresponding aspect of consciousness. If, however, one's eye is intact, and the external forms fall within the field of vision, and the corresponding conjunction takes place, in that case there arises the corresponding aspect of consciousness. Hence I say: the arising of consciousness is dependent upon conditions; and without these conditions, no consciousness arises. And upon whatsoever conditions the arising of consciousness is dependent, after these it is called. Consciousness, whose arising depends on the eye and forms, is called 'eye-consciousness' (cakkhu-vi~n~naa.na). Consciousness, whose arising depends on the ear and sounds, is called 'ear-consciousness' (sota-vi~n~naa.na). Consciousness, whose arising depends on the olfactory organ and odors, is called 'nose-consciousness' (ghaana-vi~n~naa.na). Consciousness, whose arising depends on the tongue and taste, is called 'tongue-consciousness' (jivhaa-vi~n~naa.na). Consciousness, whose arising depends on the body and bodily contacts, is called 'body-consciousness' (kaaya-vi~n~naa.na). Consciousness, whose arising depends on the mind and mind objects, is called 'mind-consciousness' (mano-vi~n~naa.na). Whatsoever there is of 'corporeality' (ruupa) on that occasion, this belongs to the Group of Corporeality. Whatsoever there is of 'feeling' (vedanaa), this belongs to the Group of Feeling. Whatsoever there is of 'perception' (sa~n~naa), this belongs to the Group of Perception. Whatsoever there are of 'mental formations' (sankhaara), these belong to the Group of Mental Formations. Whatsoever there is of consciousness (vi~n~naa.na), this belongs to the Group of Consciousness. Dependency Of Consciousness On The Four Other KhandhasAnd it is impossible that any one can explain the passing out of one existence, and the entering into a new existence, or the growth, increase and development of consciousness, independently of corporeality, feeling, perception, and mental formations. The Three Characteristics Of Existence(ti-lakkha.na)All formations are 'transient' (anicca); all formations are 'subject to suffering' (dukkha); all things are 'without a self' (anattaa). Corporeality is transient, feeling is transient, perception is transient, mental formations are transient, consciousness is transient. And that which is transient, is subject to suffering; and of that which is transient and subject to suffering and change, one cannot rightly say: 'This belongs to me; this am I; this is my Self'. Therefore, whatever there be of corporeality, of feeling, perception, mental formations, or consciousness, whether past, present or future, one's own or external, gross or subtle, lofty or low, far or near, one should understand according to reality and true wisdom: 'This does not belong to me; this am I not; this is not my Self'. The Anatta Doctrine
Suppose a man who was not blind beheld the many bubbles on the Ganges as they drove along, and he watched them and carefully examined them; then after he had carefully examined them they would appear to him empty, unreal and unsubstantial. In exactly the same way does the monk behold all the corporeal phenomena, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and states of consciousness-whether they be of the past, or the present, or the future, far or near. And he watches them, and examines them carefully; and, after carefully examining them, they appear to him empty, void and without a Self. Whoso delights in corporeality, or feeling, or perception, or mental formations, or consciousness, he delights in suffering; and whoso delights in suffering, will not be freed from suffering. Thus I say.
|
Source: The Vipassana Page, http://www.enabling.org/ia/vipassana/