FIRST STEP. RIGHT UNDERSTANDING (Samma-ditthi) What now is Right Understanding?
1. To understand suffering; 2. to understand the origin of suffering; 3. to understand the extinction of suffering; 4. to understand the path that leads to the extinction of suffering. This is called Right Understanding.
Or, when the noble disciple understands, what demerit is and the root of demerit, what merit is and the root of merit, then he has Right Understanding.
As “demeritorious” (a-kusala) is considered every deed by body, speech or mind, which influences our existence unfavourably and manifests itself in its effects as suffering, be it in this or any future form of existence.
What now is "demerit" (a-kusala)?
Bodily Action (kaya-kamma). 1. Destruction of living beings is demerit.
2. Stealing is demerit.
3. Unlawful sexual intercourse is demerit.
Verbal Action (vaci-kamma). 4. Lying is demerit.
5. Tale-bearing is demerit.
6. Harsh language is demerit.
7. Frivolous talk is demerit.
Mental Action (mano-kamma). 8. Covetousness is demerit.
9. Ill-will is demerit.
10. Wrong views are demerit.
The state of “Will” (cetana) is really that which counts as action (kamma), It may manifest itself as action of the body, or of speech; if it does not outwardly manifest itself, it is counted as mental action.
And what is the root of demerit? Greed (lobha) is a root of demerit; Anger (dosa) is a root of demerit; Delusion (moha) is a root of dement.
The state of lobha as well as that of dosa is always accompanied by moha, as moha, ignorance, is the primary root of all evil.
Therefore, I say, these demeritorious actions are of three kinds: either due to greed, or due to anger, or due to delusion.
What now is merit (kusala)?
Bodily Action (kaya-kamma). 1. To abstain from killing is merit.
2. To abstain from stealing is merit.
3. To abstain from unlawful sexual intercourse is merit.
Verbal Action (vaci-kamma)4. To abstain from lying is merit.
5. To abstain from tale- bearing is merit.
6. To abstain from harsh language is merit.
7. To abstain from frivolous talk is merit.
Mental Action (mano-kamma). 8. Absence of covetousness is merit.
9. Absence of ill-will is merit.
10. Right understanding is merit.
And what is the Root of Merit? Absence of greed (a-lobha = unselfishness) is a root of merit; absence of anger (a-dosa = benevolence) is a root of merit; absence of delusion (a-moha = wisdom) is a root of merit.
Or, when one understands that form, feeling, perception, mental formations and consciousness are transient, [subject to suffering and without an Ego] also in that case one possesses Right Understanding.
Should anyone say that he does not wish to lead the holy life under the Blessed One, unless the Blessed One first tells him, whether the world is eternal or temporal, finite or infinite; whether the life principle is identical with the body, or something different; whether the Perfect One continues after death etc. — Such an one would die, ere the Perfect One could tell him all this.
It is as if a man were pierced by a poisoned arrow, and his friends, companions, or near relations called in a surgeon, but that man should say: "I will not have this arrow pulled out until I know, who the man is, that has wounded me: whether he is a noble, a prince, a citizen, or a servant;" or: "what his name is and to what family he belongs”; or: “whether he is tall, or short, or of medium height.” Verily, such a man would die, ere he could adequately learn all this.
Therefore, the man, who seeks his own welfare, should pull out this arrow— this arrow of lamentation, pain and sorrow.
For, whether the theory exists, or whether it does not exist, that the world is eternal, or temporal, or finite, or infinite — certainly, there is birth, there is decay, there is death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair, the extinction of which, attainable even in this present life, I make known unto you.
There is, for instance, an unlearned worldling, void of regard for holy men, ignorant of the teaching of holy men, untrained in the noble doctrine. And his heart is possessed and overcome by Self-Illusion, by Scepticism, by Attachment to Rule and Ritual, by Sensual Lust and by Ill-will, and how to free himself from these things, he does not really know.
Self-Illusion (sakkaya-ditthi) may reveal itself as: —
1. “Spiritualism” — bhava - or sassata-ditthi, lit. “Eternity-belief” — i.e. the belief that one’s Ego is existing independently of the material body, and continuing even after the dissolution of the latter.
2. “Materialism" — vibhava- or uccheda-ditthi, lit. “Annihilation-belief” — i.e. the belief that this present life constitutes the Ego, and hence that it is annihilated at the death of the material body.
Not knowing what is worthy of consideration and what is unworthy of consideration, he considers the unworthy and not the worthy.
Und unwisely he considers thus: “Have I been in the past? Or, have I not been in the past? What have I been in the past? How have I been in the past? From what state and into what state did I change in the past? — Shall I be in the future? Or, shall I not be in the future? What shall I be in the future? How shall I be in the future? From what state and into what state shall I change in the future?" — And the present also fills him with doubt: "Am I? Or, am I not? What am I? How am I? This being, whence has it come? Whither will it go?"
And with such unwise considerations, he falls into one or other of the six views, and it becomes his conviction and firm belief: "I have an Ego"; or: "I have no Ego"; or: "With the Ego I perceive the Ego"; or: "With that which is no Ego I perceive the Ego "; or: "With the Ego I perceive that which is no Ego”. Or, he falls into the following view: "This my Ego, which can think and feel, and which, now here, now there, experiences the fruit of good and evil deeds: — this my Ego is permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change and will thus eternally remain the same”.
If there really existed the Ego, there would be also something which belonged to the Ego. As, however, in truth and reality, neither an Ego nor anything belonging to an Ego can be found, is it therefore not really an utter fools’ doctrine to say: "This is the world, this am I; after death I shall be permanent, persisting and eternal"?
These are called mere views, a thicket of views, a puppet-show of views, a moil of views, a snare of views; and ensnared in the fetter of views, the ignorant worldling will not be freed from rebirth, from decay and from death, from sorrow, pain, grief and despair; he will not be freed, I say, from suffering.
The learned and noble disciple, however, who has regard for holy men, knows the teaching of holy men, is well trained in the noble doctrine, he understands what is worthy of consideration and what is unworthy. And knowing this, he considers the worthy and not the unworthy. What suffering is, he wisely considers. What the origin of suffering is, he wisely considers; what the extinction of suffering is, h e wisely considers; what the path is that leads to the extinction of suffering, he wisely considers.
And by thus considering, three fetters vanish, namely: Self-illusion, Scepticism and Attachment to Rule and Ritual.
But those disciples, in whom these three fetters have vanished, they have all “entered the Stream" (sota-panna), have for ever escaped the states of woe, and are assured of dual enlightenment.
"More than any earthly power,
More than all the joys of heaven,
More than rule o’er all the world,
Is the Entrance to the Stream."
And verily those, who are filled with unshaken faith towards me, all those have entered the stream.
There are ten “Fetters” — sannojana — by which the beings are hound to the wheel of existence. They are: — 1. Self-Illusion (sakkaya-ditthi). 2. Scepticism (vicikiccha). 3. Attachment to Rule and Ritual (silabbata-paramasa). 4. Sensual Lust (kama-raja). 5. Ill-will (vyapada). 6. Craving for the world of pure Form (rupa-raja). 7. Craving for the Formless World (arupu-raja). 8. Pride (mana). 9. Restlessness (ud-dhacca), 10. Ignorance (avijja).
A Sotapan, in Pali Sotapanna, lit. "Stream-Enterer” — i.e. "one who has entered the stream leading to Nibbana" — is free from the first 3 fetters.
A Sakadagamn, lit “Once-Returner" — namely to this sensuous sphere — has overcome the 4th and 5th fetters in their grosser form.
An Anigamin, lit. “Non-Returner”, is wholly freed from the first 5 fetters, which bind to rebirth in the sensuous sphere (kima-loka); after death, whilst living in the sphere of pure form (rupa-loka), he will reach the goal.
An Arahat, i.e. the perfectly "Holy-One", is freed from all the 10 fetters.
Therefore, I say, Right Understanding is of two kinds:
1. The view that alms and offerings are not useless; that there is fruit and result both of good and bad actions; that there are such things as this life and the next life; that father and mother, as also spontaneously born beings (in the heavenly worlds) are no mere words; that there are in the world monks and priests, who are spotless and perfect, who can explain this life and the next life, which they themselves have understood: — this is called the "Mundane Right Understanding" (lokiya-samma-ditthi), which yields worldly fruits and brings good results.
2. But whatsoever there is of wisdom, of penetration, of right understanding, conjoined with the “Path" (of the Sotapanna, Sakadagamin, Anagamin or Arahat) — the mind being turned away from the world and conjoined with the path, the holy path being pursued: — this is called the “Ultramundane Right Understanding” (lokuttara-samma-ditthi), which is not of the world, but is ultramundane and conjoined with the paths.
Thus, there are two kinds of the Rightfold Path:
1. The "mundane" (lokiya, practised by the “Worldling” (puthujjana); 2. the “ultra-mundane” (lokuttara), practised by the "Noble Disciples" ariya-puggala.
Now, in understanding wrong understanding as wrong, and right understanding as right, one practises "Right Understanding (1. step); and in making efforts to overcome wrong understanding, and to arouse right understanding, one practises "Right Effort" (6. step); and in overcoming wrong understanding with attentive mind, and dwelling with attentive mind in possession of right understanding, one practises "Right Attentiveness (7. step). Hence, there are three things that accompany and follow upon right understanding, namely: right understanding, right effort, and right attentiveness.
Now, if any one should put the question, whether I admit any view at all, he should be answered thus: —
The Perfect One is free from any theory, for the Perfect One has understood what the body is, and how it arises, and passes away. He has understood what feeling is, and how it arises, and passes away. He has understood what perception is, and how it arises, and passes away. He has understood what the mental formations are, and how they arise, and pass away. He has understood what consciousness is, and how it arises, and passes away. Therefore, I say, the Perfect One has won complete deliverance through the extinction, fading away, disappearance, rejection, and getting rid of all opinions and conjectures, of all inclination to the vain* glory of 'I’ and 'mine.'
Whether Perfect Ones (Buddhas) appear in the world, or whether Perfect Ones do not appear in the world, it still remains a firm condition, an immutable fact and fixed law: that all formations are “impermanent” (anicca); that all formations are "subject to suffering” (dukkha); that everything is "without an Ego" (an-atta).
The word "sankhara" (formation) comprises all things which have a beginning and ail end, the so-called created or "formed things" (sankhara-dhamma), i.e. all possible physical and mental constituents of existence. The word "dhamma”, however, has a still wider application and is all-embracing, as it comprises also the things which have no beginning or end, the so-called uncreated or "unformed things" (asankhata-dhamma), as akasa (cosmic space) and nibbana.
For this reason, it would be wrong to say that all dhammas are impermanent and subject to change, for the Nibbana-dhamma and dkasa are permanent and free from change. And for the same reason one has to say that not only all the sankharas (sankhata-dhamma), but that all the dhammas (including the asankhata-dhamma's) lack an Ego (an-atta).
A bodily form, a feeling, a perception, a mental formation, a consciousness, that is permanent and persistent, eternal and not subject to change, such a thing the wise men in this world do not recognise; and I also say, there is no such thing.
And it is impossible that a being possessed of Right Understanding should regard anything as an Ego.
Now, if someone should say that feeling is his Ego, he should be answered thus: "There are three kinds of feeling: pleasurable, painful, and indifferent feeling. Which of these three feelings now do you consider as your Ego?” At the moment namely of experiencing one of these feelings, one does not experience the other two. These three kinds of feeling are impermanent, of dependent origin, are subject to decay and dissolution, to fading away and extinction. Whosoever, in experiencing one of these feelings, thinks that this is his Ego, will, after the extinction of that feeling, admit that his Ego has become dissolved. And thus he will consider his Ego already in this present life as impermanent, mixed up with pleasure and pain, subject to rising and passing away.
If any one should say that feeling is not his Ego, and that his Ego is inaccessible to feeling, he should be asked thus: "Now, where there is no feeling, is it there possible to say: 'This am I’?"
Or, someone might say: “Feeling indeed is not my Ego, but also it is untrue that my Ego is inaccessible to feeling; for it is my Ego that feels, for my Ego has the faculty of feeling.” Such a one should be answered thus: “Suppose, feeling should become altogether totally extinguished; now, if there, after the extinction of feeling, no feeling whatever exists, is it then possible to say: 'This am I’?"
To say that the mind, or the mind-objects, or the mind-consciousness constitute the Ego: such an assertion is unfounded. For an arising and a passing away is seen there; and seeing the arising and passing away of these things, one should come to the conclusion that one’s Ego arises and passes away.
It would be better for the unlearned worldling to regard this body, built up of the four elements, as his Ego, rather than the mind. For it is evident that this body may last for a year, for two years, for three, four, five, or ten years, or even for a hundred years and more; but that which is called thought, or mind, or mind-consciousness, is continuously, during day and night, arising as one thing and passing away as another thing.
Therefore, whatsoever there is of bodily form, of feeling, of perception, of mental formations, of consciousness, whether one’s own or external, gross or subtle, lofty or low, far or near: there one should understand according to reality and true wisdom: 'This does not belong to me; this am I not; this is not my Ego.’
If now any one should ask: "Have you been in the past, and is it untrue that you have not been? Will you be in the future, and is it untrue that you will not be? Are you, and is it untrue that you are not?" — you ought to say that you have been in the past, and that it is untrue that you have not been; that you will be in the future, and that it is untrue that you will not be; that you are, and that it is untrue that you are not.
In the past only the past existence was real, but unreal the future and present existence. In the future only the future existence will be real, but unreal the past and present existence. Now only the present existence is real, but unreal the past and future existence.
Verily, he who perceives the “Dependent Origination” (paticca-samuppada) perceives the truth; and he who perceives the truth perceives the dependent origination. For, just as from the cow comes the milk, from milk curds, from curds butter, from butter ghee, from ghee the scum (of ghee); and when it is milk, it is not counted as curds, or butter, or ghee, or scum of ghee, but only as milk; and when it is curds, it is only counted as curds: — even so was my past existence at that time real, but unreal the future and present existence; and my future existence will be at one time real, but unreal the past and present existence; and my present existence is now real, but unreal the past and future existence. All these are merely popular designations and expressions, mere conventional teems of speaking, mere popular notions. The Perfect One, indeed, makes use of these, without, however, clinging to them.
Thus, he who does not understand bodily form, feeling, perception, mental formations and consciousness according to reality (i.e. as void of a personality or Ego), and not their arising, their extinction, and the way to their extinction, he is liable to believe, either that the Perfect One continues after death, or that he does not continue after death, and so forth.
Verily, if one holds the view that the vital principle (Ego) is identical with this body, in that case a holy life is not possible; or, if one holds the view that the vital principle is something quite different from the body, in that case also a holy life is not possible. Both these two Extremes the Perfect One has avoided and shown the Middle Doctrine, which says:
On “Delusion" (avijja) depend the (life-affirming) “Activities" (sankhara) — On the activities depends “Consciousness” (vinnana: here, rebirth-consciousness in the womb of the mother).-— On consciousness depends the “Psycho-physical Combination” (nama-rupa).-- On the psycho-physical combination depends the "Sixfold Sense-activity” (chal-ayatana). — On the sixfold sense-activity depends the “Sensorial Impression” (phassa). — On the sensorial impression depends “Feeling "(vedana). — On feeling depends “Craving” (tanha), — On craving depends "Clinging to Existence (upadana). — On clinging to existence depends the “Process of Becoming” (bhava; here: kamma-bhava, or action-process). — On the process of becoming depends “Rebirth” (jati). — On rebirth depends "Decay and Death" (jara-marana), sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair. Thus arises this whole mass of suffering. This is called the noble truth of the origin of suffering.
In whom, however, Delusion (avijja) has disappeared and wisdom arisen, such a disciple heaps up neither meritorious, nor demeritorious activities, nor activities leading to immovability.
Thus, through the entire fading away and extinction of this “Delusion”, the (life-affirming) “Activities” are extinguished. Through the extinction of the activities, “Consciousness” (rebirth) is extinguished. Through the extinction of consciousness, the "Psycho-physical combination" is extinguished. Through the extinction of the psycho-physical combination, the sixfold "Sense-activity” is extinguished. Through the extinction of the sixfold sense-activity, the “Sensorial Impression” is extinguished. Through the extinction of the sensorial impression, “Feeling” is extinguished. Through the extinction of feeling, "Craving" is extinguished. Through the extinction of craving, "Clinging to Existence" is extinguished. Through the extinction of clinging to existence, the "Process of Becoming" is extinguished. Through the extinction of the process of becoming, "Re- birth" is extinguished. Through the extinction of rebirth, decay and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair are extinguished. Thus takes place the extinction of this whole mass of suffering. This is called the noble truth of the extinction of suffering.
Verily, because beings, obstructed by delusion (avijja) and ensnared by craving (tanha), now here, now there, seek ever fresh delight, therefore it comes to ever fresh rebirth.
And the action (kamma) that is done out of greed, anger and delusion (lobha, dosa, moha), that springs from them, has its source and origin there: — this action ripens wherever one is reborn; and wherever this action ripens, there one experiences the fruits of this action, be if in this life, or the next life, or in some future life.
However, through the fading away of delusion, through the arising of wisdom, through the extinction of craving, no future rebirth takes place again.
For the actions, which are not done out of greed, anger and delusion, which have not sprung from them, which have not their source and origin there,: — such actions are, through the absence of greed, anger and delusion, abandoned, rooted out, like a palm tree torn out of the soil, destroyed, and not liable to spring up again.
In this respect one may rightly say of me, that I teach annihilation, that I propound my doctrine for the purpose of annihilation, and that I herein train my disciples. For, certainly, I teach annihilation, — the annihilation namely of greed, anger and delusion, as well as of the manifold evil and demeritorious things.
The Paticca-Samuppada is the teaching of the strict conformity to law of everything that happens, whether in the realm of the physical or the psychical. It shows how the totality of phenomena, physical and mental, the entire phenomenal world that depends wholly upon the six senses, together with all its suffering — and this is the vital point of the teaching — is not all the mere play of blind chance, but has an existence that is dependent upon conditions, and that, precisely with the removal of these conditions, those things that have arisen in dependence upon them — thus also all suffering — must perforce disappear and cease to be. Accordingly, the Paticca-samuppada, above everything else, seeks to set forth how the arising of suffering is dependent upon conditions, and how, through the removal of these conditions, all suffering must disappear. Hence, the Paticca-samuppada serves in the elucidation of the 2nd and the 3rd Noble Truth, by explaining them from their very foundations upwards and giving them fixed philosophical form.
The following diagram shows at a glance the relationship of dependence existing between, past, present and future existence.
Past Existence Kamma-bhava (Action-process)
1. Delusion (together with craving, clinging, and so forth)
2. (Life affirming) Activities
Present Existence. Uppatti-bhava (Birth-process)
3. Consciousness
4. Psycho-physical Combination.
5. Sixfold Sense-activity
6. Sensorial Impression
7. Feeling
Present Existence. Kamma-bhava (Action-process)
8. Craving
9. Clinging to existence (together with craving, delusion etc)
10. Process of Becoming
Future Existence. Uppatti-bhava (Birth-process)
11. Rebirth (cp. 3-7)
12. Decay and Death
(See my article "The Dependent Origination" in the Journal of the Mahabodhi Society, XXV, 5-6).