..续本文上一页g. Three of them say it”s a hen, and only one of them says it”s a rooster. “How could a hen crow like that

　　” he asks. “Well, it”s got a mouth, doesn”t it

　　” they reply. The one person argues until he starts crying. Actually, it was a rooster crowing, in line with our standard suppositions, but the one person had to argue until he started to cry. Yet on the ultimate level they were all wrong. The words “rooster” and “hen” are just suppositions.

　　If you asked the chicken, “Are you a rooster

　　” it wouldn”t answer. If you asked, “Are you a hen

　　” it wouldn”t give any explanation. But we have our conventions: These features are the features of a rooster; these features, the features of a hen. The rooster”s crow is like this; a hen”s squawk is like that. These are suppositions that are stuck in our world. But in truth there”s no rooster, no hen. To speak on the level of the world”s suppositions, the one person was right, but to argue to the point of crying doesn”t serve any purpose at all. That”s all there is to it.

　　So the Buddha taught not to cling to these things. If we don”t hold onto things, how can we practice

　　 We practice because of not clinging. To bring your discernment in here is hard. This is why it”s hard not to cling. You need to use sharp discernment to contemplate this. Only then will you get anywhere. When you think about it, for the sake of relieving suffering, it doesn”t depend on whether you have a lot of things or a little. Whether you”re happy or sad, content or discontent, it starts from your discernment. To go beyond suffering depends on discernment, seeing things in line with their truth.

　　The Buddha taught us to train ourselves, to contemplate, to meditate. “Meditation” means undoing these problems in line with the way they are. These are the issues: the issues of birth, aging, illness, and death. These are really common, ordinary things. This is why he has us contemplate them continually. He has us meditate on birth, aging, illness, and death. Some people don”t understand why we have to contemplate them. “We already know birth,” they say. “We already know death. They”re such ordinary issues.” So true….

　　A person who investigates these things again and again will see. When you see, you can gradually undo these problems. Although you may still have some clinging, if you have the discernment to see that these things are normal you”ll be able to relieve suffering. This is why we practice for the sake of undoing suffering.

　　The basic principles of the Buddha”s teaching aren”t much: just suffering arising and suffering ceasing. That”s why these things are called noble truths. If you don”t know these things, you suffer. If you argue through your pride and opinions, there”s no end to it. To get the mind to relieve its suffering and be at ease, you have to contemplate what”s happened in the past, what”s in the present, what”s going to be in the future. What can you do not to be worried about birth, aging, illness, and death

　　 There will be some worries, but if you can learn to understand them for what they are, suffering will gradually lessen, because you don”t hug it to your chest.

《Suppositions & Release》全文阅读结束。