The Essence of the Buddha”s Teaching
S N Goenka
(The following is an extract from “Glimpses of the Buddha”s Life,” published by Vipassana Research Institute.)
There are many misconceptions about the Buddha and his teachings in India. It is essential to remove them and to reveal the truth, especially to Vipassana meditators. Otherwise, they will remain oblivious of the facts and will remain confused. This "Glimpses of the Buddha”s Life" exhibition will certainly dispel some misconceptions, if not all.
Why did Prince Siddhattha renounce royal comforts, his beautiful young wife and newborn baby and choose the difficult life of an ascetic
He had no quarrel with his family members. He had loving relations with all of them. Therefore, when he discovered the universal path of liberation from suffering, he shared this knowledge with his family and relatives in addition to innumerable suffering people of the world.
The sole purpose of his search was to discover the true cause of suffering and the right means for its eradication. He spent six years of his life making strenuous effort to discover the truth and he finally found the real solution to this problem. Pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu—the truth that he had never heard before manifested itself.
This truth was not prevalent in society nor was it being practised in the spiritual field. How then could he have heard of it
From whom could he have heard of it
Let us take a look at what was prevalent as the truth in the spiritual traditions in India during the Buddha”s time. Let us also look at the truth discovered by him which, far from being popular, was not even known
In almost all traditions in those days, the belief was that the six sense doors (eyes, nose, ear, tongue, body and mind) constantly come in contact with their respective sense objects (form, odour, sound, taste, touch and thoughts). Because of this contact, one constantly generates taṇhā—craving to preserve and increase what is pleasant and aversion to get rid of what is unpleasant.
Whenever craving or aversion arises due to contact, suffering arises. Craving or aversion comes with suffering. Thus, the commonly held belief was that when the sense doors come in contact with sense objects, one should not generate taṇhā—craving or aversion. On coming in contact with sense objects, one should not react with craving or aversion.
The Buddha understood that this is only the apparent truth and not the ultimate truth. It is partial truth, not the complete truth. Partial truth can only yield partial benefit, not full benefit.
When the six sense doors, that is, the six sense organs come in contact with their respective objects (saḷāyatana paccayā phasso) a sensation arises in the body (phassa paccayā vedanā) and when the sensation is experienced, craving (taṇhā) arises (vedanā paccayā taṇhā).
Clearly, if we are not aware of phassa paccayā vedanā—the sensations that arise as a result of contact—we are ignoring the deep root and getting entangled in the superficial branches.
We should be aware of the bodily sensation that arises as a result of contact and should remain equanimous towards it. When we do so, we start getting liberated from craving and aversion at the root level of the mind. Whatever the outward object (causing craving or aversion), it seems that when we come in contact with this object, we perceive it as desirable and generate craving towards it or perceive it as undesirable and generate aversion towards it. However, this is not the actual truth. It is only apparent truth. The key to true freedom from craving and aversion is to know the actual truth and to maintain equanimity while remaining aware of it. We must gain freedom from vedanā paccayā taṇhā. This is the auspicious…
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