THE BUDDHA: BASIC TEACHINGS
Source: Mario Bussagli, 5000 Years of the Art of India (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., n.d.).
The following is a Buddhist text that presents the basic
teachings of this religion. How do the values and teachings of this text
explain the appearance of the images that you have seen?
THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS - THUS has it been said by the Buddha,
the Enlightened One: It is through not understanding, not realizing four
things, that I, Disciples, as well as you, had to wander so long through
this round of rebirths. And what are these four things? They are the Noble
Truth of Suffering, the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering, the Noble
Truth of the Extinction of Suffering, the Noble Truth of the Path that leads
to the Extinction of Suffering. As long as the absolutely true knowledge
and insight as regards these Four Noble Truths was not quite clear in me,
so long was I not sure, whether I had won that supreme Enlightenment which
is unsurpassed in all the world with its heavenly beings, evil spirits and
gods, amongst all the hosts of ascetics and priests, heavenly beings and
men. But as soon as the absolutely true knowledge and insight as regards
these Four Noble Truths had become perfectly clear in me, there arose in
me the assurance that I had won that supreme Enlightenment unsurpassed.
And I discovered that profound truth, so difficult to perceive, difficult
to understand, tranquilizing and sublime, which is not to be gained by mere
reasoning, and is visible only to the wise. The world, however, is given
to pleasure, delighted with pleasure, enchanted with pleasure. Verily, such
beings will hardly understand the . . . end of all formations, the forsaking
of every substratum of rebirth, the fading away of craving; detachment,
extinction, Nirvana. Yet there are beings whose eyes are only a little covered
with dust: they will understand the truth.
FIRST TRUTH THE NOBLE TRUTH OF SUFFERING - WHAT, 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 . . . . 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.
[EXISTENCE] - [T]he belief in an [individual soul] is merely an illusion.
Just as that which we designate by the name of "chariot," has
no existence apart from axle, wheels, shaft, and so forth: or as the word
"house" is merely a convenient designation for various materials
put together after a certain fashion so as to enclose a portion of space,
and there is no separate house-entity in existence:- in exactly the same
way, that which we call a "being," or an "individual,"
or a "person," or by the name "I," is nothing but a
changing combination of physical and psychical phenomena, and has no real
existence in itself.
THE . . . CHARACTERISTICS OF EXISTENCE - Corporeality is transient, feeling
is transient, perception is transient, mental formations are transient,
consciousness is transient . . . . Suppose, a man who is not blind, were
to behold the many bubbles on the Ganges as they are driving along; and
he should watch them, and carefully examine them. After carefully examining
them, they will 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 an [individual soul]. 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. . . . In deepest darkness you are wrapped!
Why do you not seek for the light? . . . All life must truly end in death.
SAMSARA, THE WHEEL OF EXISTENCE - Which do you think is the more: the flood
of tears, which weeping and wailing you have shed upon this long way- hurrying
and hastening through this round of rebirths, united with the undesired,
separated from the desired- this, or the waters of the four oceans? . .
. But how is this possible? Inconceivable is the beginning of this Samsara;
not to be discovered is any first beginning of beings, who, obstructed by
ignorance, and ensnared by craving, are hurrying and hastening through this
round of rebirths. And thus have you long time undergone suffering, undergone
torment, undergone misfortune, and filled the graveyards full; verily, long
enough to be dissatisfied with all the forms of existence, long enough to
turn away, and free yourselves from them all.
SECOND TRUTH THE NOBLE TRUTH OF THE ORIGIN OF SUFFERING - WHAT, now, is
the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering? It is that craving which gives
rise to fresh rebirth, and, bound up with pleasure and lust, now here, now
there, finds ever fresh delight.
INHERITANCE OF DEEDS (KARMA) - For, owners of their deeds (karma) are the
beings, heirs of their deeds; their deeds are the womb from which they sprang;
with their deeds they are bound up; their deeds are their refuge. Whatever
deeds they do -- good or evil -- of such they will be the heirs. And wherever
the beings spring into existence, there their deeds will ripen; and wherever
their deeds ripen, there they will earn the fruits of those deeds, be it
in this life, or be it in the next life, or be it in any other future life.
THIRD TRUTH THE NOBLE TRUTH OF THE EXTINCTION OF SUFFERING - WHAT, now,
is the Noble Truth of the Extinction of Suffering? It is the complete fading
away and extinction of this desire, its forsaking and giving up, the liberation
and detachment from it. But where may this craving vanish, where may it
be extinguished? Wherever in the world there are delightful and pleasurable
things, there this craving may vanish, there it may be extinguished. Be
it in the past, present, or future, whosoever of the monks or priests regards
the delightful and pleasurable things in the world as "impermanent,"
"miserable," and "without a [soul]," as a disease and
cancer; it is he who overcomes the craving. And released from Sensual Craving,
released from the Craving for Existence, he does not return, does not enter
again into existence.
NIRVANA - This, truly, is the Peace, this is the Highest, namely the end
of all formations, the forsaking of every substratum of rebirth, the fading
away of craving: detachment, extinction- Nirvana. Enraptured with lust,
enraged with anger, blinded by delusion, overwhelmed, with mind ensnared,
man aims at his own ruin, at others' ruin, at the ruin of both parties,
and he experiences mental pain and grief. But, if lust, anger, and delusion
are given up, man aims neither at his own ruin, nor at others' ruin, nor
at the ruin of both parties, and he experiences no mental pain and grief.
Thus is Nirvana immediate, visible in this life, inviting, attractive, and
comprehensible to the wise. The extinction of greed, the extinction of anger,
the extinction of delusion: this, indeed, is called Nirvana.
FOURTH TRUTH THE NOBLE TRUTH OF THE PATH THAT LEADS TO THE EXTINCTION OF
SUFFERING - THE TWO EXTREMES AND THE MIDDLE PATH - TO GIVE oneself up to
indulgence in sensual pleasure, the base, common, vulgar, unholy, unprofitable;
and also to give oneself up to self-mortification, the painful, unholy,
unprofitable: both these two extremes the Perfect One has avoided, and found
out the Middle Path, which makes one both to see and to know, which leads
to peace, to discernment, to enlightenment, to Nirvana.
THE EIGHTFOLD PATH - It is the Noble Eightfold Path, the way that leads
to the extinction of suffering, namely: 1. Right Understanding, 2. Right
Mindedness, which together are Wisdom. 3. Right Speech, 4. Right Action,
5. Right Living, which together are Morality. 6. Right Effort, 7. Right
Attentiveness, 8. Right Concentration, which together are Concentration.
This is the Middle Path which the Perfect One has found out, which makes
one both to see and to know, which leads to peace, to discernment, to enlightenment,
to Nirvana.
THE SILENT THINKER - "I am" is a vain thought; "I am not"
is a vain thought; "I shall be" is a vain thought; "I shall
not be" is a vain thought. Vain thoughts are a sickness, an ulcer,
a thorn. But after overcoming all vain thoughts, one is called "a silent
thinker." And the thinker, the Silent One, does no more arise, no more
pass away, no more tremble, no more desire. For there is nothing in him
that he should arise again. And as he arises no more, how should he grow
old again? And as he grows no more old, how should he die again? And as
he dies no more, how should he tremble? And as he trembles no more, how
should he have desire?
THE TRUE GOAL - Hence, the purpose of the Holy Life does not consist in
acquiring alms, honor, or fame, nor in gaining morality, concentration,
or the eye of knowledge. That unshakable deliverance of the heart: that,
verily, is the object of the Holy Life, that is its essence, that is its
goal.
From: Buddha, the Word. Edited by Nyanatiloka. Electronically
Enhanced Text (C) Copyright 1991, World Library, Inc.