..續本文上一頁ny real happiness. It causes clinging to happiness and unhappiness and clinging to liking and disliking, which is in itself the cause of suffering. When we are still clinging like this we don”t have an even-minded attitude towards things. Some states of mind we like and others we dislike. If we are still liking and disliking, then both happiness and unhappiness are suffering. It”s this kind of attachment which causes suffering. The Buddha taught that whatever causes us suffering is in itself unsatisfactory.
The Four Noble Truths
Hence we understand that the Buddha”s Teaching is to know suffering and to know what causes it to arise. And further, we should know freedom from suffering and the way of practice which leads to freedom. He taught us to know just these four things. When we understand these four things we”ll be able to recognize suffering when it arises and will know that it has a cause. We”ll know that it didn”t just drift in! When we wish to be free from this suffering, we”ll be able to eliminate its cause.
Why do we have this feeling of suffering, this feeling of unsatisfactoriness
We”ll see that it”s because we are clinging to our various likes and dislikes. We come to know that we are suffering because of our own actions. We suffer because we ascribe value to things. So we say, know suffering, know the cause of suffering, know freedom from suffering and know the Way to this freedom. When we know about suffering we keep untangling the knot. But we must be sure to untangle it by pulling in the right direction. That is to say, we must know that this is how things are. Attachment will be torn out. This is the practice which puts an end to our suffering.
Know suffering, know the cause of suffering, know freedom from suffering and know the Path which leads out of suffering. This is Magga (Path). It goes like this: Right View, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration. When we have the right understanding regarding these things, then we have the Path. These things can put an end to suffering. They lead us to morality, concentration and wisdom (Sila, Samadhi, Pañña).
We must clearly understand these four things. We must want to understand. We must want to see these things in terms of reality. When we see these four things we call this Sacca Dhamma. Whether we look inside or in front or to the right or left, all we see is Sacca Dhamma. We simply see that everything is the way it is. For someone who has arrived at Dhamma, someone who really understands Dhamma, wherever he goes, everything will be Dhamma.
Start Doing It!
(A lively talk, in Lao dialect, given to the Assembly of newly-ordained Monks at Wat Pah Pong on the day of entering the Rains Retreat, July 1978) [18]
Breathe in... breathe out... just like that. Even if others are "standing on their heads"[19] that”s their business. Don”t bother your head over it. Just concentrate on breathing in and out, just know your breath, that”s enough. Nothing else. Just know when the air comes in and goes out, or you can say to yourself; "BUD" on the in-breath, "DHO" on the out-breath.[20] Take this as your subject of awareness. Just do it like that for now. When the air comes in, you know it; when it goes out, you know it. Then your mind will be peaceful, not disturbed, not restless. Just the air going in and out, continuously.
In the beginning, keep it this simple, nothing fancy. However long you may sit, if you”re "sabai"[21] or peaceful, you”ll know within yourself. If you keep at it, the breath becomes refined and softer, the body becomes soft (relaxed), the mind becomes soft -- that”s worth having! Go ahead, let it happen naturally. Sitting "sabai," firm in meditation, not i…
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