Suffering and the Way

　　to Cessation

　　by Ajahn Sumedho

　　Venerable Ajahn Sumedho, in an extract from the forthcoming publication ”The Four Noble Truths”, emphasises the use of reflection as a means to abandoning suffering.

　　The whole aim of the Buddhist teaching is to develop the reflective mind in order to let go of delusions. The Four Noble Truths is a teaching about letting go by investigating or looking into - contemplating: ”Why is it like this

　　 Why is it this way

　　” It is good to ponder over things like why monks shave their heads or why Buddha-rupas look the way they do. We contemplate ... the mind is not forming an opinion about whether these are good, bad, useful or useless. The mind is actually opening and considering, ”What does this mean

　　 What do the monks represent

　　 Why do they carry alms bowls

　　 Why can”t they have money

　　 Why can”t they grow their own food

　　” We contemplate how this way of living has sustained the tradition and allowed it to be handed down from its original founder, Gotama the Buddha, to the present time.

　　We reflect as we see suffering; as we see the nature of desire; as we recognise that attachment to desire is suffering. Then we have the insight of allowing desire to go and the realisation of non-suffering, the cessation of suffering. These insights can only come through reflection; they cannot come through belief. Instead, the mind should be willing to be receptive, pondering and considering.

　　People rarely realise non-suffering because it takes a special kind of willingness in order to ponder and investigate and get beyond the gross and the obvious. It takes a willingness to actually look at your own reactions, to be able to see the attachments and to contemplate: ”What does attachment feel like

　　” For example, do you feel happy or liberated by being attached to desire

　　 These questions are for you to investigate. If you find out that being attached to your desires is liberating, then do that. Attach to all your desires and see what the result is.

　　In my practice, I have seen that attachment to my desires is suffering. There is no doubt about that. I can see how much suffering in my life has been caused by attachments to material things, ideas, attitudes or fears. I can see all kinds of unnecessary misery that I have caused myself through attachment because I did not know any better. I was brought up in America - the land of freedom. It promises the right to be happy, but what it really offers is the right to be attached to everything. America encourages you to try to be as happy as you can by getting things. However, if you are working with the Four Noble Truths, attachment is to be understood and contemplated; then the insight into non-attachment arises. This is not an intellectual stand or a command from your brain saying that you should not be attached; it is just a natural insight into non-attachment or non-suffering.

　　When the Buddha gave this sermon on the Four Noble Truths, only one of the five disciples who listened to it really understood it; only one had the profound insight. The other four rather liked it, thinking ”Very nice teaching indeed,” but only one of them, Kondanna, really had the perfect understanding of what the Buddha was saying.

　　What did Kondanna know

　　 What was his insight

　　 It was: ”All that is subject to arising is subject to ceasing.” Now this may not sound like any great knowledge but what it really implies is a universal pattern: whatever is subject to arising is subject to ceasing; it is impermanent and not self ... So don”t attach, don”t be deluded by what arises and ceases. Don”t look for your refuges, that which you want to abide in and trust, in anything that arises - because those things will cease.

　　If you want to suffer and waste your life, go around seek…

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