process of earning your own Enlightenment will enable you to fulfill all those
roles, and any others you wish with a high degree of clarity of mind.
Enlightenment is attainable. You can do it. You will enjoy much more from life
in the process of pursuing Enlightenment.
What are the advantages of attaining Enlightenment?
There are significant benefits that one will experience through the pursuit and
attainment of Enlightenment such as:
- Increased and high degree of focus
- Increased and high degree of concentration
- Improved and high degree of memory
- Clarity of thought and mind
An Enlightened being will no longer experience any discontent feelings such
as sadness, anger, frustration, irritation, annoyance, guilt, shame, fears,
boredom, loneliness, shyness, jealousy, resentment, stress, anxiety, etc.
An Enlightened being will have deep wisdom in which to conduct daily life.
They do not argue, fight, or have any hostility.
They are polite, kind, friendly, respectful, calm, caring, etc. They deeply
understand what causes harm in the world and, thus, do not cause any harm
through their intentions, speech, actions, or livelihood so no harm comes to
them.
An Enlightened being can create healthy personal and professional
relationships with ease.
Because of these benefits and others, their mind and their life are peaceful,
calm, serene, and content with joy for the remaining time of their life, their
last life.
Enlightenment is a permanent mental state.
Why pursue Enlightenment?
1.) To attain complete and ever lasting peace of mind and a peaceful life
where the mind resides permanently peaceful, calm, serene, and content
with joy eliminating 100% of all discontent feelings. To acquire a high degree
of focus, concentration, an improved memory, and clarity of mind.
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2.) To share with others how to attain ever lasting peace of mind and how to
obtain a peaceful life where their mind resides permanently peaceful, calm,
serene, and content with joy. To help others acquire a high degree of focus,
concentration, an improved memory, and clarity of mind.
3.) To benefit all of humanity through the elimination of your own pollution of
mind. You will eliminate all unwholesome results from your decisions through
wise decision making, thus, create a more peaceful humanity through
cleaning up your own unwholesome conduct to attain a peaceful mind.
4.) To respect Gotama Buddha for his Teachings. The best way to show
respect to a Teacher is to learn and practice their Teachings.
5.) To share these Teachings with your family, friends, those close to you,
and your homeland to assist in creating a more peaceful life for all those
closest to you and all of humanity.
6.) If you are an Ordained Practitioner, to respect Household Practitioners for
their support of your journey to Enlightenment. The Household Practitioners
support you and you should support them through a dedicated practice of
these Teachings where you return The Teachings to them to benefit their life.
It is Kamma!
Do you need any other reasons?
How do you attain Enlightenment?
To pursue Enlightenment, you must learn and implement The Teachings of:
A.) The Three Universal Truths
B.) The Four Noble Truths
C.) The Eight Fold Path
D.) The Five Precepts
E.) The Brahmā-vihāras
F.) The Ten Fetters
G.) The Seven Factors of Enlightenment
H.) Extensive Meditation Training
There are plenty of other Teachings and you can explore them all. However,
these are some of the core Teachings to create a solid foundation for you to
work towards Enlightenment in your life practice. A wise Practitioner might
choose to focus on developing an understanding and practice of only The
Three Universal Truths, The Four Noble Truths, The Eight Fold Path, The Five
Precepts, and developing a meditation practice to get started. Then, as
results are being experienced, expand into deepening your practice through
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all the other Teachings. You will need to seek support and guidance to
accomplish the goal of developing your life practice.
Having Teachers or guides to assist you on the path to Enlightenment is very
important and beneficial. You will not be able to pursue this path alone. As
you seek Teachers, be sure that you find Teachers free of craving, anger, and
ignorance (unknowing of true reality) with no ego. Enlightenment is the
opposite of these things. If you need help on this path, it’s important to find
someone that does not embody these aspects of mind. You should be
interested to have Teachers and guides who have loving-kindness and
compassion towards all beings and are open to helping all people without
expectation of payment for their support.
You can pursue Enlightenment no matter what has transpired in the past. No
matter what your previous intentions, speech, actions or anything that has
transpired in the past, Enlightenment can still be pursued and attained. What
really matters on your path to Enlightenment is that you learn, reflect,
practice, and observe the results in the present moment. Dedication and
commitment to learning and growing will ensure you are moving the mind
towards Enlightenment.
This path requires inner growth and development as there is nothing external
that is needed in pursuit of this path.
Gotama Buddha’s Teachings are not to control an individual nor dictate what
they should or should not do. But instead, they provide guidance that when
practiced will lead to Enlightenment, the liberation of the mind, a peaceful
and content mind and, thus, a peaceful and content life. Everything in this
practice is obtained through your personal choices.
It is important to pursue Enlightenment without craving or desire to attain it
but use it as a goal, an interest, or an objective.
If there is craving, even craving for Enlightenment, you will not be able to
attain full Enlightenment as an Arahant. And if there is craving at the time of
death, there will be rebirth.
There is no finish line to the attainment of Enlightenment. Once a mind
reaches the fourth Stage of Enlightenment, the mind can continue to ascend
to higher degrees of the Enlightened mind. A Practitioner needs to focus on
the one (1) step in front of them that leads to further progress on The Path to
Enlightenment. If the mind is focusing on the imaginary non-existent finish
line, the craving for Enlightenment will inhibit and hinder the mind from
experiencing Enlightenment.
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Instead, a Practitioner may be interested to consider themselves already
Enlightened and they are just working to remove all the pollution of the mind
that is inhibiting them from experiencing Enlightenment. In this way, the mind
is not attempting to attain anything at all but instead, the mind is already
Enlightened and a Practitioner’s life practice is to purify the mind removing
the pollution that is hindering one from experiencing the radiance and
brightness of Enlightenment.
How can you know if you are walking towards Enlightenment?
You will notice, as you learn and implement these Teachings, that the mind
will continually clear out more and more. It takes time, lots of time, however
the results of learning and implementing these Teachings are more and more
profound as you learn and progress. Enlightenment does not require belief
because you will see the results for yourself. You will experience increased
levels of concentration and clarity of mind. You will find that it’s easier to
communicate, accomplish tasks, and conduct daily life. There will be a
gradual decreasing of strong feelings and emotions that cause struggles and
difficulties in life and within your relationships.
Situations in the past that caused anger or frustration will no longer result in
you reacting with the same feelings but rather, you will experience evenness
of temper or equanimity. You will be able to respond in difficult situations
rather than react.
What are The Seven Factors of Enlightenment?
The Seven Factors of Enlightenment are not to determine if someone is or is
not Enlightened but instead, they are used to fine tune the mind bringing it to
a balanced state - “in the middle”. If a Practitioner is noticing that the mind is
not “in the middle”, as described in the Chapter titled “The Middle Way:
Walking The Middle Way” (Chapter 6), use the associated factors of
Enlightenment to move the mind to practicing the middle way.
When the mind becomes complacent, sluggish, lethargic, dull, or lazy, this is
the time to practice the Enlightenment factors of Investigation, Energy, and
Joy.
When the mind is excited, elated, ecstatic, euphoric, or over stimulated, this
is the time to practice the Enlightenment factors of Tranquility,
Concentration, and Equanimity.
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The Enlightenment factor of Mindfulness is always useful and should be
practiced in each and every moment. Mindfulness will need to be developed
as part of training the mind through The Eight Fold Path (Chapter 5) using
Breathing Mindfulness Meditation (Chapter 11) on a consistent and ongoing
basis.
1.) Mindfulness: (Awareness of mind as described in The Eight Fold Path as “Right
Mindfulness”.)
2.) Investigation: (Dedicated examination, exploration, research, study, and
questioning to learn The Teachings.)
3.) Energy: (Effort, determination, ambition, initiative, motivation, vigor, and enthusiasm;
willingness to do something.)
4.) Joy: (Pleased and delighted not associated with any specific object; unconditioned
gladness; the Practitioner is not attaining it by craving/desire/attachment.)
5.) Tranquility: (Relaxed, steadiness, stability, peacefulness, and stillness of mind.)
6.) Concentration: (Mental alertness, attentiveness, the ability to give your attention or
thought to a single object or activity. “Singleness of mind” as described in The Eight Fold
Path as “Right Concentration”.)
7.) Equanimity: (Mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a
difficult situation; treating everyone impartially.)
It is, Monks, when The Seven Factors of Enlightenment are developed and cultivated in
this way that they fulfill true wisdom and liberation.
(Gotama Buddha)
(Reference: SN 46.6)
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What are The Four Stages of Enlightenment?
There are four (4) stages in the attainment of Enlightenment, however, these
are for personal development purposes only. You should not compare or
profess to another person which Stage of Enlightenment you think you have
attained. Self declared attainment has no beneficial purpose and oftentimes
comes from arrogance and pride, the ego, while being fraught and filled with
errors.
One goal of these Teachings is to eliminate arrogance and pride, the ego,
therefore, if a Practitioner is declaring their self determined Stage of
Enlightenment, there is still arrogance and pride. A Practitioner sharing with
others what they think they have attained is an indication that, the mind is
not yet Enlightened.
An Enlightened being would have no need or desire to profess what they
think the mind has attained. An Enlightened mind is so peaceful, calm,
serene, and content with joy that an Enlightened being will just be enjoying
life rather than attempting to convince others or boasting about what they
think they have attained.
Self determination of attainment of any Stage of Enlightenment is
fraught and filled with errors.
While one should consistently apply effort towards learning, reflecting, and
practicing The Teachings to include understanding The Four Stages of
Enlightenment, these are used for personal development to guide a
Practitioner’s journey assisting you on the path to higher and higher degrees
of attainment not as a way to brag, show off or profess to others what you
think you have attained. Convincing the mind that it has attained any of
these Stages of Enlightenment or that the mind is actually Enlightened is
dangerous for the mind.
The ego is constantly going to be interested to convince the mind it is more
Enlightened than it really is. The ego is equivalent to a “bad tenant” who
never pays rent and doesn’t want to leave the residence. The bad tenant, the
ego, needs to be evicted but every time things move in that direction it tries
to convince the mind it is more Enlightened than it really is because the ego
does not want to leave. The bad tenant keeps wanting to stay but yet
provides no benefit whatsoever and continually attempts to convince the
mind it is Enlightened so that the bad tenant, the ego, can stick around.
You need to evict the ego and as long as the mind is convinced that it is
experiencing higher and higher degrees of attainment, then there is the risk
or danger that arrogance and pride will arise, thus, halting any forward
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progress. With arrogance and pride (i.e. the ego), the mind will want to
measure and compare what it thinks it has attained to others creating
unwholesome decisions that produce separation rather than harmony
amongst friendly Practitioners and “all beings”. The mind could become
judgmental looking down on others rather than practicing loving-kindness
and compassion with an interest in seeing all beings attain Enlightenment.
You should never believe you have attained Enlightenment and continuously
pursue this path your entire life. Should you ever think you have attained
Enlightenment and are “done”, the mind can become “sluggish or
complacent” and halt your progress on this path.
Arrogance and pride can arise in the mind if one becomes absorbed,
engrossed or fascinated with progressing through The Four Stages of
Enlightenment. As soon as any arrogance, pride, or ego arises, the mind is
not experiencing Enlightenment.
If any of this is occurring in the mind, the mind is not Enlightened and is
essentially sabotaging a Practitioner’s ability to experience more progress.
Through never convincing the mind that it is truly Enlightened, even when all
discontentedness has been eliminated, then, the mind can continue to reside
protected from any potential arising of arrogance and pride (i.e. the ego), and
continue to experience increased benefits as the mind becomes more and
more Enlightened.
While we use the term Enlightenment, this mental state is not a destination
that once one arrives, everything is complete. Instead, as the mind arrives to
Enlightenment having eliminated all discontentedness, a Practitioner can
experience increased benefits of the Enlightened mind as the brilliance and
brightness of the Enlightened mind shine through more and more. If one
convinces themselves they are Enlightened and are actually “done”, then
they would not experience the continued and increasing benefits of the mind
entering into an even higher degree of Enlightenment.
There will be glimpses of Enlightenment as you develop your practice.
Whether it be in meditation, during the daily activities, or for multiple
minutes, hours, weeks, months, etc. as one progresses. These glimpses are
similar to a flickering lightbulb that is struggling to shine bright on a
consistent and ongoing basis. These glimpses of Enlightenment help a
Practitioner to observe the possibilities of what one is headed towards and
that they are headed in the right direction. But the mind needs to remain
unaffected by these momentary or elongated and impermanent experiences.
The mind needs to remain unaffected by the improved condition of the mind
to be able to experience more and more awakening of the mind.
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The mind could experience multiple minutes, hours, weeks, months, etc.
with the returning of discontentedness at any moment. A wise Practitioner
needs to remain determined, dedicated, and diligent to apply effort watching
over the mind with mindfulness or awareness of mind. If one proceeds
without guarding the mind with mindfulness, then cravings/desires/
attachments can emerge from the corners of the mind producing
discontentedness.
Just like the mind will experience flickering and glimpses of Enlightenment
as the mind is developed, the mind will also experience a flickering
diminishing of cravings/desires/attachments and discontentedness.
As discontentedness is gradually being extinguished, the qualities of the
Enlightened mind are continuing to increase. All the while, the Practitioner is
having experiences in the mind they never knew existed and the mind can
become quite blissful and elated. It is important to reside unaffected by
these experiences continuing to bring the mind back to the middle. If the
mind takes great pleasure in what it is experiencing, this is dangerous and
risky as the mind then continues to crave these pleasant feelings stalling
progress.
This is yet another reason guidance with a Teacher is so important. As the
mind moves and shifts through the preliminary phases of the Jhānas and
into The Four Stages of Enlightenment, a Practitioner is going to need
support from someone who has experienced what they are experiencing.
This will allow a Practitioner to gain the insight and Teachings needed to
continue forward development through seeking guidance of how to continue
the mind’s cultivation.
The Ten Fetters are the ten (10) individual aspects of the mind that need to
be eliminated to attain Enlightenment. The word “fetter” is defined as: “a
chain or shackle used to restrain a prisoner, typically placed around the
ankles”. The Ten Fetters are essentially keeping a being trapped in The Cycle
of Rebirth bound to the endless cycle of continuous rebirth experiencing
discontentedness over countless lives.
It is not until one eliminates The Ten Fetters that a being’s mind is liberated
from discontentedness and The Cycle of Rebirth. A fetter can also be
referred to as a taint or pollution of the mind. A taint is an impure quality of
the mind and is why these need to be eliminated to attain Enlightenment.
The Ten Fetters pollute the mind not allowing us to experience the brightness
and radiance of the Enlightened mind.
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These are “The Ten Fetters”. These are the chains that bind us into The
Cycle of Rebirth and to multiple lifetimes of experiencing continuous
discontentedness. You must eliminate these and practice The Seven Factors
of Enlightenment to attain Enlightenment - along with many other Teachings
as part of The Eight Fold Path.
The Ten Fetters
Lower Fetters
1.) Personal existence view
(Eliminating the concept of a permanent self from the mind.
Realization of The Universal Truth of Non-self.)
2.) Doubt
(Elimination of doubts about The Teachings and the ability of them to attain Enlightenment.
Confidence in The Buddha, The Teachings, The Community, your Teacher, and your own ability to attain
Enlightenment.)
3.) Wrong behavior and observances
(Elimination of the mind’s belief that rites, rituals,
ceremonies, and worship will help a Practitioner to attain Enlightenment. Well developed practice of
The Eight Fold Path.)
4.) Sensual desire
(Elimination of the desire for pleasures from The Six Sense Bases: eyes, ears,
nose, tongue, body, and the mind.)
5.) Ill will
(Elimination of hostility, hatred, anger, aggression, resentment, frustration, irritation,
annoyance, etc.)
Higher Fetters
6.) Desire for form
(Elimination of desire for existence in the form realms; Animal or Human.
Elimination of the fear of death.)
7.) Desire for the formless
(Elimination of desire for existence in the formless realms; Hell,
Afflicted Spirits, or Heaven.)
8.) Conceit
(Elimination of arrogance, pride, judging, measuring or comparing as superior or inferior to
others. Ego is completely dissolved.)
9.) Restlessness
(Elimination of confused, distracted, worried, anxious, restless state of mind; the
opposite of “singleness of mind”.)
10.) Ignorance
(Elimination of delusion or unknowing of true reality through acquiring wisdom. Learn,
reflect, and practice of The Teachings of The Buddha, such as, The Three Universal Truths, The Four Noble
Truths, The Eight Fold Path, The Five Precepts, The Three Wholesome/Unwholesome Roots, The Natural
Law of Kamma, The Cycle of Rebirth, etc. all detailed later in this book and book series.)
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A Stream-Enterer (returning to human realm no more than 7 times) is:
Free From:
1. Personal existence view
2. Doubt
3. Wrong behavior and observances
A Once-Returner (returns to human realm only one time) is:
Free From:
1. Personal existence view
2. Doubt
3. Wrong behavior and observances
Greatly Thinned:
4. Sensual desire
5. Ill will
A Non-Returner (does not return to human realm) is:
Free From:
1. Personal existence view
2. Doubt
3. Wrong behavior and observances
4. Sensual desire
5. Ill will
An Arahant is free from all of the five lower fetters and the five higher
fetters, which are:
1. Personal existence view
2. Doubt
3. Wrong behavior and observances
4. Sensual desire
5. Ill will
6. Desire for form
7. Desire for the formless
8. Conceit
9. Restlessness
10. Ignorance
A Practitioner attaining the results and Stage of Enlightenment as an Arahant
is Enlightened. In the first three (3) Stages of Enlightenment, the mind is not
yet Enlightened and is still experiencing discontentedness. There will be a
gradual diminishing of discontentedness as the mind ascends through each
Stage of Enlightenment but it is not until the mind reaches the Stage of
Enlightenment as an Arahant, where the mind is actually Enlightened, that all
discontentedness is eliminated and there is no more rebirth in The Cycle of
Rebirth.
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What is a Buddha?
A “Buddha” is not a Stage of Enlightenment but instead, is a unique type of
Enlightened being. A Buddha is an Arahant who has attained Enlightenment
without any assistance of Teachers but only through their own efforts of
using the world as their Teacher and perhaps Teachings of a previously
awakened Buddha.
There are three primary criteria of what makes a Buddha a Buddha.
1.) A Buddha awakens to Enlightenment through their own independent
journey without the assistance of any Teachers, independently discovering
The Teachings that lead to Enlightenment.
A Buddha has fully eliminated The Ten Fetters to attain Enlightenment as an
Arahant but they have done so through their own independent journey
without the assistance of any Teachers, developing deep wisdom of what is
needed to attain Enlightenment.
2.) A Buddha guides countless others to Enlightenment during their lifetime
through sharing their independently discovered Teachings that led to their
own Enlightenment during their independent journey.
A Buddha has the ability to guide countless beings to the attainment of
Enlightenment during their lifetime and after their death. A Buddha will
dedicate the remaining time of their life towards sharing their Teachings and
guiding countless beings to Enlightenment.
3.) Upon a Buddha’s death, they will leave their Teachings in a condition that
can be continually shared assisting countless more beings to Enlightenment
after their death.
A Buddha’s Teachings and Students will continue to guide countless people
to Enlightenment after a Buddha’s death. A Buddha has already done the
hard work of figuring out how to attain Enlightenment. You just need to learn
and practice his Teachings to improve the condition of the mind and your
life.
A Buddha is referred to as a Fully Perfectly Enlightened Buddha, a Perfectly
Enlightened One, or a Tathāgata. They are a human being, a Teacher, one
with deep compassion for all beings and the world. A Buddha has deep
wisdom to help the world and can accomplish that goal through individuals
choosing to learn and practice their Teachings to attain Enlightenment.
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They are considered Perfectly Enlightened because there are no outside
influences that have led to their awakening, so they have “Perfect
Enlightenment” where their mind is unaffected by any teachings outside of
their own independently discovered Teachings that led to their awakening.
A Buddha will have an excellent memory being able to recall countless past
events and situations with stunning accuracy. Unlike other humans, their
memory does not fade and is not overwritten.
A Buddha will need to weave their way through a previous Buddha’s
Teachings as all things are affected by impermanence, thus, a previous
Buddha’s Teachings will not be in a pure condition.
A Buddha will be able to easily determine the condition of the mind of
another person, then be able to help them with Teachings to eliminate the
unwholesome qualities of the mind and cultivate wholesome qualities of the
mind. A Buddha will be able to observe the condition of another being’s
mind but only does so with an interest to help the other being eliminate the
unwholesome qualities from the mind and cultivate wholesome qualities in
the mind to guide one towards Enlightenment.
A Buddha will have a deep practice of their own Teachings, leading by
example as a living, breathing, walking example of their Teachings.
A Buddha will be able to make predictions of the future and understand the
future progress of the world as a whole while explaining past events and the
current condition of the world through their Teachings.
A Buddha will know this is their last life without being reborn into any realm
of existence. They will have insight into their previous lives and knowledge of
their existence in those previous lives. Their only goal will be to lead as many
people to Enlightenment as possible and to create a strong Community of
humans with Enlightenment who will assist others to attain Enlightenment
and leave strong Teachings that will assist unEnlightened beings to become
Enlightened after a Buddha’s death.
When a Buddha arises in the world, this is your best opportunity to attain
Enlightenment. A Buddha will have independently realized their
Enlightenment and will be experiencing “Perfect Enlightenment”. A Buddha
will have deep knowledge, deep understanding, and deep wisdom of how to
attain Enlightenment through their independent realization of Enlightenment.
A Buddha will be able to teach and guide all humans, who are interested to
learn, towards Enlightenment.
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A Buddha arising in the world is extremely rare. The last Buddha currently
known to the world was Gotama Buddha who died over 2,500 years ago.
Why Does a Buddha Appear in the World?
A Buddha appears in the world when a Buddha is needed.
When humanity has reached a point of major confusion, conflict, and there is
grave suffering throughout the world, a Buddha will appear.
A Buddha has the ability to help all of humanity to realize a better existence
through their independently realized Teachings.
A Buddha will have struggled for countless lives to reach Enlightenment.
Their journey on The Path would have been long and difficult over untold
numbers of countless rebirths but they would never give up in their pursuit to
Full and Perfect Enlightenment. They also would never give up on sharing
their Teachings with all of humanity teaching until death.
A Buddha would have deep compassion for every single being in existence -
past, present, and future.
A Buddha would know that they have attained Full and Perfect
Enlightenment and are able to help all of humanity now and well into the
future. But, all of humanity is never ready and willing to learn, grow, and
progress on The Path during a Buddha’s existence. All unEnlightened beings
are already experiencing significant internal struggles so they will also
struggle to closely understand and practice The Teachings that will lead to
their full liberation. Most will not even know there is a solution to their
struggles of the mind because they do not necessarily realize there is a
problem.
Complacency is the norm and is the most detrimental quality of the
mind.
Humanity may or may not even see the struggles and issues that are
apparent and so clear to a Buddha. The vast majority of humanity will not
even know that a Buddha has appeared because they are unable to
determine who is or is not Enlightened and, thus, would not be able to
determine who is or is not a Buddha. Humanity is mostly “unknowing” of true
reality and “unknowing” of the countless problems faced by all beings. The
large masses do not understand the challenges they are facing with the
unEnlightened mind, so they are unfamiliar with the solutions to the
unEnlightened mind.
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A Buddha sees all the problems and has all the solutions of how to guide a
being on The Path to Enlightenment so that a more Enlightened humanity
can work together to solve its challenges.
A Buddha’s responsibility is not to himself as they have transcended any
selfish pursuit or interest in fame or fortune. A Buddha chooses to spread the
word of their appearance and Teachings through guiding people to attain
Enlightenment without the need for others to know they are a Buddha. A
Buddha can be more productive through others not knowing he is a Buddha
because he can more accurately assess a Practitioner’s mind. If there is a
worldwide announcement of the arrival of a Buddha, there would be those
who agree and come to that Buddha for guidance and others who would
reject the idea of a Buddha being in existence.
Those who reject the idea of a Buddha’s existence would not seek guidance
on The Path to Enlightenment, and those who do seek guidance might try to
be on their “best behavior” masking the mind’s true nature. This would
hinder a Buddha’s ability to observe the condition of a Student’s mind and,
thus, be more limiting to how a Buddha could assist their Students in the
progress of Enlightenment.
A Buddha would not be interested in a worldwide announcement of their
awakening as it would be counterproductive and would instead, choose to
humbly and peacefully share their Teachings with those who choose to be
taught. A Buddha will encourage people to learn and progress on The Path
guiding anyone who is interested to attain Enlightenment.
A Buddha’s goal is to help eliminate the massive amount of suffering that is
pervasive and the original cause for the Buddha’s appearance in the world.
A Buddha appearing in today’s society would need to be creative in
understanding exactly how to present The Teachings to an “unaware” and
otherwise absorbed audience. An audience that is complacent either
unknowingly unaware or purposefully ignoring their own suffering.
Either way, upon a Buddha’s appearance, the Buddha will have to put much
more thought and effort into helping people understand that there is a
problem rather than the thought and effort that they would put into the actual
sharing of The Teachings themselves.
Complacency is not easily eradicated, and the vast majority of the world is
complacent unknowing of the true struggles faced and the solutions to these
struggles.
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Once a person decides they need guidance and accepts responsibility to
learn and practice, the Buddha is well prepared to deliver every Teaching
that permeates their entire mind.
There is no one or nothing that could eliminate the wisdom acquired by a
Buddha through their independently realized Enlightenment.
There are no specific physical features that would identify a Buddha as being
a Buddha. You will know who is a Buddha through observing their work to
develop a dedicated Community of Practitioners and Teachers while
assisting countless Practitioners to attain Enlightenment. You will be able to
observe through a Buddha’s work towards sharing The Teachings into the
world in such a way that helps countless beings attain Enlightenment during
his lifetime and after his death leaving The Teachings and a Community to
share those Teachings. And, if you know that individual does not have any
Teachers but was able to benefit countless beings to attain Enlightenment
during their lifetime and after their death, with their Teachings continuing to
help countless beings attain Enlightenment, then this person could be
considered a Buddha.
Are there any physical or emotional symptoms that we are currently
experiencing that may not be medically related that could be attributed
to awakening of the mind to Enlightenment?
As you pursue Enlightenment, you may notice various physical and
emotional symptoms associated with your ascent to Enlightenment. This is a
short list. Do not get attached to these symptoms or think Enlightenment is
imminent. Just know that these symptoms are normal and keep learning,
growing, and practicing these Teachings so that you can continue to pursue
Enlightenment.
It is not that pursuit of Enlightenment has caused these symptoms
necessarily, but instead, that as the mind awakens the body will oftentimes
experience various sensations or experiences as the mind moves towards
performing more optimally. These symptoms are not permanent and may or
may not be noticed or even happen at all.
This list is shared so that if you are or have experienced any of these
symptoms, that you will understand it is normal.
It is important for Practitioners to understand, if they are experiencing these
symptoms that it does not mean that something is “wrong” with the physical
body or mind but instead, these are just normal symptoms that may or may
not be experienced along The Path to Enlightenment. If there are concerns,
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seek medical advice to determine if there are any underlying health issues
but do not be surprised if there is nothing found.
In fact, some of these are indications that the condition of the mind is
improving and as these symptoms subside, the body and the mind will
function more optimally.
Physical:
1.) Pressure or ringing in the ears.
2.) Weight fluctuations.
3.) Faster hair and nail growth.
4.) Heart palpitations.
5.) Looking and feeling younger.
6.) Power surges and hot flashes.
7.) Periods of lethargy and fatigue or excitement and elation.
8.) Skin eruptions: rashes, bumps, acne, hives, and shingles.
9.) Headaches or pain in the head.
10.) Backaches, neck pains, flu-like symptoms (this is called vibrational flu),
digestive problems, muscular spasms or cramps, racing heartbeat, or chest
pains.
11.) Numbness, tingling, or itching sensations all over the body.
12.) The 5 physical senses (Sight, Hearing, Smell, Taste, and Touch) all
become heightened and lessened multiple times as you pursue
Enlightenment. Temporary blurry vision is common.
13.) You may experience dizziness, light headedness, nausea, confusion,
lack of immediate or short-term memory.
14.) Events that alter your life: death, divorce, change in job status, loss of
home, illness, and/or other catastrophes - sometimes several at once.
15.) The pupils of your eyes may become enlarged and will not contract even
in lighted conditions. This is a condition called “wisdom eyes” or slang “egg
yolk”. It signifies being able to see more of the world and walking from the
darkness into the light. Your eyes are now, “wide open” to the world. This
usually occurs as you are successfully implementing most of The Eight Fold
Path and moving into the Jhānas.
Emotional
1.) No longer have any fears including the fear of failure or fear of death.
2.) Being alone feels comfortable.
3.) Changes in sexual drive.
4.) Insomnia or irregular sleeping schedule.
5.) You may experience anxiety, depression, difficulty falling asleep, waking
up early, or any disruption to your sleeping schedule as you are letting go of
past trauma, experiences, suffering and expectation of the future.
6.) Losing track of time or feeling as though you are in a time warp.
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7.) You may notice that you no longer have dreams or cannot remember your
dreams. This is noticeable as you stop clinging to past thoughts or being
worried about the future. At this point, you are living more in the moment.
A Practitioner may or may not experience any of these or may have already
been experiencing these symptoms prior to embarking on their journey on
The Path to Enlightenment.
This list is provided to put the mind at ease that if you are currently
experiencing any of these, they are temporary and have answers that are not
based in permanent medical conditions. The journey to Enlightenment is
highly beneficial and does not cause any adverse symptoms or
complications in one’s life. There are only beneficial results as part of
learning and progressing on The Path to Enlightenment that creates more
peacefulness and harmony within all your relationships.
Guidance on The Path
Attempting to experience Enlightenment without proper guidance or people
who understand it, can be scary and would be impossible to actually attain -
other than for a true Buddha. Since you are not a Buddha, you will need
guidance. Unfortunately, most of the people around you may be unfamiliar
with the process of pursuing Enlightenment and will potentially encourage
you to seek mental healthcare. This will inevitably lead you to being labeled
with a mental condition and to prescription medications which could
suppress the progression of Enlightenment.
Enlightenment is an enjoyable pursuit but can be very challenging at times.
You should surround yourself with people that understand the progression of
Enlightenment as sometimes, it can get uncomfortable when you are letting
go of your deepest held emotions and past traumas. Without this support,
you will not be able to fully break through to achieve your final goal of a
liberated mind. You can be left with countless physical and emotional
symptoms that appear on the surface to those inexperienced in its
symptoms, to be a collection of other physical/emotional disorders or
conditions.
At certain times as you are pursuing Enlightenment, you might feel the most
uncomfortable that you have ever felt in your entire life both physically and
emotionally. When the mind is struggling on The Path to Enlightenment, that
is when it’s doing the most work, with the best opportunity for progress
when one seeks guidance and support from a Teacher. You need support
from caring and understanding people that will help you progress to a Higher
Consciousness.
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You are welcome to seek guidance with the author of this book through the
methods previously mentioned. If you choose to seek guidance with
someone else, the below can be helpful to find a Teacher that would have
the needed life practice well established to support your learning and
growth.
How to Determine If A Potential Teacher Has Attained Enlightenment
To attain Enlightenment, you will need to have the help of Teachers and
Guides.
The written Teachings offered from Gotama Buddha’s lifetime do not contain
everything you need to know to attain Enlightenment. Studying only the
written text without the assistance of Teachers and Guides who understand
The Path to Enlightenment will not produce Enlightenment for you.
You will need guidance from Teachers who have attained Enlightenment to
assist you along The Path to attain Enlightenment.
If you are going to learn Gotama Buddha’s Teachings that lead to
Enlightenment, it is important to find a Teacher who has already attained
Enlightenment. How can one lead another person to attain Enlightenment if
they themselves have not yet attained Enlightenment? This would be like
attempting to learn how to drive a car from someone who has never driven a
car. This would most likely not be the wisest decision.
A Teacher of this Path should not force others to understand and practice
Gotama Buddha’s Teachings. Attaining Enlightenment does not work that
way and will not work that way.
A Teacher of this Path should politely, kindly, and respectfully share The
Teachings with others, as they ask or request guidance, which illuminates
The Path so that by the Practitioner’s own personal choices, they can learn
and practice The Teachings to attain Enlightenment.
Through learning and practicing The Teachings with guidance from a
Teacher, a Practitioner can independently observe the truth for themselves to
acquire wisdom. The wisdom one acquires will liberate the mind to attain
Enlightenment.
It is through a Practitioner’s own personal choices that they will learn and
practice The Teachings to gradually attain the results of an Enlightened mind.
Enlightenment requires dedication, commitment, and real work to learn and
understand the truths that Gotama Buddha taught, so that you know on your
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own that The Teachings are 100% truth. A Practitioner can only accomplish
this if they take the time to put aside what they currently understand about
the world that is keeping the mind in the unEnlightened state. Through these
Teachings, a Practitioner needs to expand their wisdom beyond what they
currently know.
Through applying The Teachings in “real life” a dedicated Practitioner can
see the truth for themselves to gradually attain Enlightenment.
In effect, seeking out and acknowledging a Teacher is confirmation that
one’s mind is open to receiving guidance which will ultimately lead to their
progress on The Path to Enlightenment. Seeking the guidance of a Teacher
is also very helpful to reduce and eliminate arrogance (i.e. the ego). Admitting
to one’s self that they do not know it all, is helpful to reduce the ego.
Whether it was learning the ABC’s, 123’s, reading, writing, or any other long
term learning goal you have pursued has always involved seeking guidance
with a Teacher. The Path to Enlightenment is exactly the same. You are going
to need Teachers.
To learn and attain Enlightenment will take a significant amount of time,
effort, dedication, and commitment. So, if you are going to invest the time,
effort, dedication, and commitment to attain Enlightenment, it is important
that you find someone who has already attained the mental state of
Enlightenment.
In the unEnlightened state, you are in darkness. A Teacher with
Enlightenment will be carrying the light to guide you away from the darkness
and towards the light through sharing Teachings. Without a Teacher who has
attained Enlightenment, you walk The Path alone without any light. You will
find that it is impossible to complete the journey walking alone in the
darkness without a light.
If you ask someone if they have attained Enlightenment, a person who has
attained this state of mind will not admit “Yes, I have attained
Enlightenment”.
It is considered by most that if you say that you have attained Enlightenment
then you do so with arrogance and pride (i.e. ego), placing yourself above
another person. One aspect of attaining Enlightenment is that you dissolve
the ego and judgment of others. If someone professes they have attained
Enlightenment, then it is considered they have done so out of ego and thus,
have not attained Enlightenment at all.
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A person who has attained Enlightenment will be more interested in helping
you attain Enlightenment than in discussing their own attainment of
Enlightenment. If you are seeking guidance on The Path to attain
Enlightenment, they will most likely focus the discussion primarily on “What
is Enlightenment and how you can attain it”, rather than on, their own
attainment of Enlightenment.
You can consider asking a potential Teacher the following questions to help
you determine if you would like to learn with them.
1.) Ask a potential Teacher “Have you attained Enlightenment?”.
If they are eager to answer “Yes” and are eager to discuss their current stage
of attainment of Enlightenment focusing the discussion on themselves, you
should take this into consideration. You may conclude that perhaps their
arrogance and pride (i.e. ego) will inhibit your learning on the path to
Enlightenment. A person who has truly attained Enlightenment will not have
arrogance or pride because the ego has been eliminated.
2.) Ask a potential Teacher “What is Enlightenment?”.
A person who has attained Enlightenment will have extensive knowledge of
what Enlightenment is and what it is not. In this book, there are details of
what Enlightenment is and what it is not. This will help you better reflect on
the answer provided by the potential Teacher.
3.) Ask a potential Teacher “How to attain Enlightenment?”.
A person who has attained Enlightenment will have extensive wisdom of how
to attain Enlightenment. Their answer of how to attain Enlightenment with
Gotama Buddha’s Teachings may include the following:
- Learn, Reflect, Practice, and Observe the results of a well developed
practice of The Teachings shared by Gotama Buddha. The pursuit to
Enlightenment is an independent journey with Teachers and Guides to
assist you. However, you will need to do all the work yourself, as your
potential Teacher, can only guide you.
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- A small sample of The Teachings that are needed to attain Enlightenment
include:
A.) The Three Universal Truths
B.) The Four Noble Truths
C.) The Eight Fold Path
D.) The Five Precepts
E.) The Brahmā-vihāras
F.) The Ten Fetters
G.) The Seven Factors of Enlightenment
H.) Extensive Meditation Training
4.) Ask a potential Teacher “What rites, rituals, ceremonies, and worship
are required to attain Enlightenment?”.
There are no rites, rituals, ceremonies, and worship required to attain
Enlightenment.
If someone explains certain chants that need to be repeated, certain
postures the body needs to be trained to acquire, or sells/provides you any
external devices that includes bells, strings, clothing, beads, music, statues,
special drinks or food, etc. then this person has not attained Enlightenment.
Enlightenment does not require any special chanting or external devices to
attain this mental state. If someone claims they have special chants or
external devices to attain Enlightenment and it is only them who possess
these secrets, they have not attained Enlightenment. There is nothing
external required to attain Enlightenment and if they claim special status with
pride, you can be sure this person has not attained Enlightenment.
Enlightenment is not about training the body to acquire a specific body
position. Enlightenment is about training the mind. If someone focuses their
Teachings on training the body, then they have not attained Enlightenment.
The Teachings of Gotama Buddha are known to many people and there is
not just one (1) special person who knows all the secrets to attaining
Enlightenment and there are no special external devices required to attain
Enlightenment.
All the work and ability to attain Enlightenment is already inside of you.
You need a well developed Teacher to help guide you to attaining
Enlightenment who focuses on purification of the mind. You will need The
Teachings, Teachers, dedication, and commitment to attain Enlightenment.
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The Teacher will provide The Teachings to teach you. You will need to
provide the dedication and commitment to learn and practice The Teachings.
5.) Ask a potential Teacher “What is the price or cost for me to receive
training with you?”.
A person who has attained Enlightenment will have deep loving-kindness
and compassion for all beings with an interest to help “all beings”.
Therefore, the potential Teacher will not be interested in money or acquiring
wealth. They will potentially need money to support their life but they will not
be interested in teaching you to attain Enlightenment for a price or specific
cost. They will not have a set price or menu of options for attaining
Enlightenment. However, they will accept donations to support them in their
life and in teaching other Students.
It is common for Students to offer their Teachers financial support or gifts as
appreciation for The Teachings and guidance but for someone with
Enlightenment, there will be no expectation of acquiring money or gifts in
return for teaching you. A potential Teacher with Enlightenment will not “ask”
you for money or gifts.
The Teachings they offer should be unattached to the accumulation of
wealth, possessions, or fame. The only interest a potential Teacher should
possess is to help and benefit “all beings” without an interest in personal
gain.
6.) Ask a potential Teacher “What type of Students do you accept and
what type of Students do you turn away?”.
A person who has attained Enlightenment will have openness, friendliness,
and be accepting of all people who are interested to learn and grow in The
Teachings of Gotama Buddha as long as the Student has respect for The
Teachings and the Teacher.
Observing a potential Teacher’s speech and actions and ensuring that they
are practicing “Right Speech” and “Right Action” is crucial. Spending time to
know the potential Teacher through building a relationship prior to learning
with them can be helpful. Anyone who has attained Enlightenment will be a
perfect example of these Teachings in practice.
Answering the questions provided here is helpful, but observing a potential
Teacher’s practice of The Teachings without judgment can provide you the
most insight. It will help you to ascertain whether they are a good role model
of these Teachings and if they would benefit your learning and growth or not.
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A potential Teacher should be polite, kind, friendly, and respectful at all
times. You should observe that they are never angry, frustrated, irritated, or
annoyed for any reason. They should be patient to assist any and all
Students who choose to seek guidance.
If the Student shows repeated disrespect towards the Teacher in their effort
to openly and freely offer Teachings to a Student, it would not be uncommon
for the Teacher to no longer offer Teachings to that Student.
If you are repeatedly disrespectful to a Teacher or fail to study diligently, it is
the results of your decisions (i.e. your Kamma) to be turned away or
potentially be asked to not come back.
There needs to be gratitude, respect, and politeness from the Student to the
Teacher to establish a proper Student-to-Teacher relationship. The respect
and politeness should be in both directions. From the Student to the Teacher
and from the Teacher to the Student.
You should observe that the potential Teacher is modeling The Teachings by
example. That includes being polite, kind, friendly, respectful, and patient
through their speech and actions staying open to “all beings”.
7.) Ask a potential Teacher “Who can attain Enlightenment?”.
All humans who have dedication and commitment to learning and growing
can attain Enlightenment. To attain Enlightenment, does not require you to
ordain or otherwise abandon your household life although, that is an option
some choose to take through becoming an Ordained Practitioner.
You can have life partners, children, an occupation, and possessions while
living a household life and still on the path to attaining Enlightenment as an
Arahant, the highest stage of Enlightenment.
All humans can attain Enlightenment, no matter your race, gender, sexual
orientation, current faith practice, or any other labels people assign to a
human being.
The only limitation to attain Enlightenment is yourself. You need to get the
“self” out of the way and focus on the growth and development of the mind
while eliminating all complacency. Determination, dedication, and diligence
to learning and growth is required.
All humans can pursue Enlightenment if they have the proper Teachings,
Teachers with Enlightenment, dedication, and commitment.
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8.) Ask a potential Teacher “Is it possible to eliminate sadness, anger,
frustration, irritation, annoyance, guilt, shame, fears, boredom,
loneliness, shyness, jealousy, resentment, stress, anxiety, and ego?”.
One primary aspect of attaining Enlightenment is to eliminate sadness,
anger, frustration, irritation, annoyance, guilt, shame, fears, boredom,
loneliness, shyness, jealousy, resentment, stress, anxiety, and the ego. If a
potential Teacher has attained Enlightenment, they will not experience any of
these feelings and know that the ego needs to be dissolved to attain
Enlightenment.
Through discussion of these questions and others you may develop, you will
need to decide if you feel that you can respect and learn with a potential
Teacher.
You may need to experience multiple Teachers and Guides along The Path.
Being attached to just one Teacher may not produce the best results.
However, your initial training should be with one Teacher to establish a solid
foundation and practice of The Teachings. You should notice in a relatively
short timeframe that The Teachings shared are clear, concise, and direct with
you being able to independently confirm the truth in The Teachings resulting
in gradual improvement to the condition of the mind.
Enjoy the journey of meeting and learning from countless people along The
Path whose only goal should be to help you. Every experience you have in
life, no matter how you perceive it, is an opportunity for learning and growth.
With The Teachings, Teachers, dedication and commitment you can pursue
Enlightenment and experience a better quality of life through The Teachings
of Gotama Buddha.
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One Who Points Out Treasure
Ānanda, I shall not treat you as the potter treats the raw damp clay. Repeatedly
restraining you, I shall speak to you, Ānanda. Repeatedly guiding you of what to avoid, I
shall speak to you, Ānanda. The truly dedicated will stand [the test].
Regard him as one who points out treasure, the wise one who seeing your faults guides
you of what to avoid. Stay with this sort of Teacher.
For the one who stays with a Teacher of this sort, things get better, not worse.
(Gotama Buddha)
(Reference: MN 122 & DHP 76-77)
Author’s Thoughts: In order to share The Teachings that lead to Enlightenment, a
Buddha or any Teacher, would need to help Students uncover unwholesome qualities in
the mind and in their life practice while pointing out the cultivation of wholesome
qualities. A Student will need to put their trust in the Teacher while investigating the
areas of improvement the Teacher identifies and shares with the Student.
A Student will need to be inviting and accepting of a Teacher’s guidance in order to
identify areas of improvement and then learn, reflect, and practice Teachings to improve
their life practice. If a Student allows the ego to block the guidance from the Teacher
while feeling displeasure in the Teacher “pointing out treasure”, they will not “stand the
test” of receiving guidance from the Teacher to progress towards Enlightenment.
A Teacher would need to exert a significant amount of time, effort, energy, and
resources to guide a Student to Enlightenment. A Teacher should not ask for any
benefits from their Students, but instead, await what is given as offerings. A Teacher’s
only goal should be to guide a Student to Enlightenment without any personal gain for
themselves whatsoever.
So, a Teacher who takes their time, effort, energy, and resources to “point out treasure”
should be regarded as a “wise one who seeing your faults” will help you to learn,
reflect, and practice The Teachings to attain Enlightenment.
The Buddha’s advice is to “stay with this sort of Teacher” as things only “get better, not
worse”. As the condition of the mind and one’s life, “only gets better, not worse” when a
Student is open to understanding guidance from a wise Teacher who kindly and
patiently shares areas for improvement while not seeking any benefit from you - their
only goal is to help you. In this type of relationship with a wise Teacher pointing out
areas of improvement as treasure to be appreciated based on the goal of helping you,
you should “stay with this sort of Teacher” as things only “get better, not worse”.
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Chapter 4
The Four Noble Truths:
Establishing Right View
For anyone interested to explore and study The Path of Enlightenment, one
must begin with a deep understanding of The Four Noble Truths.
The Four Noble Truths is the first discourse offered by Gotama Buddha as
his very first Teaching upon him attaining Enlightenment as The Fully
Perfectly Enlightened Buddha.
You can study his progression and dedication to reaching Enlightenment
through understanding his story that led him there. This Chapter will provide
details on his actual first Teaching once he became The Fully Perfectly
Enlightened Buddha and a subsequent Chapter will help you understand a
portion of his life story.
The Four Noble Truths is the core understanding required to establish “Right
View”. Right View gives a Practitioner’s mind the foundation in which to
apply all the other Teachings and practices taught by Gotama Buddha. A
Practitioner would have no ability to attain Enlightenment unless they
learned, reflected, and practiced The Four Noble Truths to establish “Right
View”.
The Four Noble Truths explains the wisdom of discontentedness, the
wisdom of the cause of discontentedness, the wisdom of the elimination of
discontentedness, and the wisdom of the way of practice leading to the
elimination of discontentedness.
In four (4) simple statements, Gotama Buddha shares the problem with the
unEnlightened mind, the cause of the problem, the elimination of the
problem, and the path leading to the complete elimination of the problem.
Before we explore The Four Noble Truths in The Words of The Buddha, I will
first share a summarized version of this Chapter to provide you a high-level
understanding of The Four Noble Truths and related Teachings to prepare the
mind for deeper investigation of this Teaching.
The content in the following table will help you get a basic understanding of
The Four Noble Truths and related Teachings.
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Understanding and practicing “The Four Noble Truths” is the first step towards The
Path to Enlightenment, Nibbāna, and a Higher Consciousness.
The Four Noble Truths is the first step of “The Eight Fold Path” called "Right View”. The
Eight Fold Path is The Path to Enlightenment with the other Teachings from Gotama
Buddha connecting into this path.
Impermanence: Everything is constantly changing and there is no permanent state.
Material objects/possessions, relationships, thoughts, ideas, states of mind, everything
in the world is constantly changing. All conditioned feelings will cease to exist. All that
arises will cease to exist. There is no steady, constant, or fixed mental state other than
Enlightenment.
Discontentedness: Gotama Buddha describes three feelings as discontent or “Dukkha”
due to their nature of being based on impermanent conditions. The goal of these
Teachings is to eliminate discontentedness of mind providing the mind a permanent
place to reside in Enlightenment.
- A pleasant feeling (happiness, excitement, elation, thrill, exhilaration, euphoria, etc.)
- A painful feeling (sadness, anger, frustration, irritation, annoyance, guilt, shame, fear,
stress, etc.)
- A feeling that is neither painful-nor-pleasant (boredom, loneliness, shyness,
displeased, uncomfortable, unsatisfied, etc.)
Craving/Desire/Attachment/Wants/Expectations/Grasping/Holding/Clinging: a mental
longing for something with a strong eagerness. The mind pulling in a direction for
objects of its affection.
The Four Noble Truths —> “Right View”
1.) First Noble Truth: Everyone that is unEnlightened will experience discontentedness.
2.) Second Noble Truth: Discontentedness is caused by our own cravings/desires/
attachments because the mind wants everything to be permanent when everything in
the world is impermanent.
3.) Third Noble Truth: The elimination of discontentedness is possible by eliminating
cravings/desires/attachments.
4.) Fourth Noble Truth: The path to eliminating discontentedness is The Eight Fold Path.
The goal in life is not to be happy, as that is an impermanent feeling. When the mind is
not happy, it will move to sadness, anger, or worse.
The goal in life is to develop a peaceful, calm, serene, and content mind with joy free of
cravings/desires/attachments that is “satisfied with what is….” - the Enlightened mind.
The Enlightened mind will not base its inner feelings on impermanent conditions
therefore it is a permanent mental state. The Enlightened mind is unconditioned.
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Author’s Thoughts: The Four Noble Truths can be summarized and understood in the
following way.
You need to accept responsibility for your own discontent mind and the emotions you
experience. Rather than blaming pleasant feelings, painful feelings, and feelings that are
neither painful-nor-pleasant on someone or something external, see the truth that you
cause your own discontent mind. See the truth that your own mind is causing itself to
experience these unwelcome feelings. By observing the truth that you are the problem,
the next step is that you have the ability to resolve the problem.
By accepting responsibility for your own discontent mind, you then have 100% ability
to eliminate discontentedness in the mind through understanding and practice of these
Teachings. Because if you are the cause of the discontent mind, that means you have
the ability to eliminate and resolve the discontentedness in the mind. You have 100%
ability to attain a content mind through learning and practicing these Teachings.
The way leading to the complete elimination of discontentedness in the mind and
attaining a peaceful, calm, serene, and content mind with joy is to learn and practice
“The Eight Fold Path”. The Enlightened mind will be calm and relaxed yet attentive and
alert. The mind will be concentrated, steady, and unshakable.
Understanding The Four Noble Truths is the first step towards a content and peaceful
mind and life. Right View is the first step of The Eight Fold Path. Without accepting
responsibility for the discontent mind, you will never be able to take steps to resolve the
discontentedness in the mind because of the “wrong view” that something or someone
else is causing the mind to be discontent means you feel that you have no ability to
attain a content mind. If it is others who are causing you to experience
discontentedness, then you will need to train the entire world to do things your way.
You are unable to train the entire world to do things the way of your choosing.
Therefore, with “wrong view” you will always experience discontentedness in the form
of pleasant feelings, painful feelings, or feelings that are neither painful-nor-pleasant.
You may find that you are attempting to train others to do things your way rather than
train your mind to understand The Natural Laws of Existence.
However, since it is impossible to train everyone in the entire world to react and
respond to you in the way of your choosing, you need to train the mind to be peaceful,
calm, serene, and content with joy to no longer experience discontentedness in any
and all situations. You have the ability to change your own mind through training but
you have no ability to change the mind of another person.
The problem is not the outside world, but the inner world. Training the mind (inner
world) is what produces a peaceful existence.
You cause your own sadness, anger, frustration, irritation, annoyance, guilt, shame,
fears, boredom, loneliness, shyness, jealousy, resentment, stress, anxiety, and all other
discontent feelings. Because you are the cause of these discontent feelings, this means
that you can eliminate the discontent feelings through understanding and practice of
these Teachings.
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Author’s Thoughts (continued):
These Teachings are a “life practice” to establish an understanding and to practice
Teachings that eliminate 100% of the discontentedness in the mind. The first step is to
understand The Teachings intellectually, reflect on these Teachings, then observe these
Teachings in practice so that you can attain the wisdom and truth in The Teachings.
Through the wisdom you acquire in the practice of these Teachings, you will liberate the
mind through wisdom to experience Enlightenment, Nibbāna, a Higher Consciousness.
This new found wisdom “gradually” improves the way the mind functions in the world
through how the mind interacts in the world and will eliminate discontentedness of
mind. When the mind attains Enlightenment, the mind will not experience any
discontentedness. The mind will be peaceful, calm, serene, and content with joy -
permanently.
Now that you have an introduction to The Four Noble Truths, let me explain
in more detail.
Let’s first discuss The Three Universal Truths as these are foundational
Teachings that one needs to learn, reflect on, and practice to be able to
understand The Four Noble Truths.
We refer to these Teachings as The Three Universal Truths and The Four
Noble Truths. Gotama Buddha knew they were the truth and Enlightened
beings know they are the truth, but in order to attain Enlightenment you will
need to know they are the truth through learning, reflecting, and practicing
these Teachings with guidance from a Teacher to observe the truth to
acquire wisdom.
As the mind acquires more and more wisdom in this way, the mind will
gradually awaken to “true reality” no longer struggling to understand the
world and what happens in the world. The mind will awaken to the wisdom
of The Natural Laws of Existence that were explained by Gotama Buddha.
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There are “The Three Universal Truths” that are important to
understand.
1.) Impermanence (Pāli: anicca)
2.) Discontentedness (often translated as suffering) (Pāli: dukkha)
3.) Non-Self (Pāli: anattā)
1.) The Universal Truth of Impermanence is a crucial Teaching to
understand as it relates to understanding Gotama Buddha’s Teachings of the
world he describes and then offers a path forward.
Impermanence is the understanding that all things are constantly changing.
Nothing in the world is permanent except for The Natural Laws of Existence
and the mental state of Enlightenment. Material objects/possessions,
relationships, thoughts, ideas, feelings, states of mind, everything in the
world is constantly changing. All conditioned feelings will cease to exist. All
that arises will cease to exist. There is no steady, constant, or fixed mental
state other than Enlightenment.
If you take a moment to explore the mind and the world around you, you can
observe that this is, in fact, a universal “truth”. You have had multiple jobs,
relationships, countless clothing and possessions. Your hair continuously
grows and you never can keep it forever, it leaves the body every moment.
Nothing in your life has stayed with you forever and is constantly changing,
including the physical body itself. The body has constantly changed from
birth until now and will continue to change your entire life. You will need to
leave the body at some point. Nothing truly belongs to you as you are only
using everything temporarily and everything will leave us someday because it
is all impermanent. You cannot keep anything, material objects/possessions,
relationships, thoughts, ideas, or feelings permanently.
Your emotions and mental states are also impermanent. The mind will
change from pleasant feelings, to painful feelings, to feelings that are neither
painful-nor-pleasant through your life and oftentimes throughout your day.
There is no emotion or mental state that is permanent - only Enlightenment is
permanent.
Enlightenment is the only mental state that is permanent. It is a mental state
for the mind to exist permanently because the mind is liberated by wisdom.
Once you learn The Natural Laws of Existence and deeply understand them
through practice, you will not unlearn or forget this wisdom. Thus, Gotama
Buddha gave us Teachings that provide a permanent place for the mind to
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reside peaceful, calm, serene, and content with joy - fully protected from the
ups and downs of life where a Practitioner will enjoy life more fully.
Other examples of how you can observe impermanence in the world are:
there will never be a time when 100% of all people in the world understand
you are a loving and kind person who only has an interest to live peacefully.
That would be permanence and it does not exist. Oftentimes, the mind
wants everyone to understand you and attempts to convince others of
something. This is not accomplishable as not everyone is going to
understand you because that would be permanence.
Not everyone is going to agree with your opinions and views. There are
going to be some people who agree with you and others who disagree.
There will never be a time when 100% of all people agree with you due to
The Universal Truth of Impermanence. So, does it make sense to adamantly
argue with someone to convince them to agree with you when you know this
is not possible? Or, instead, one could have a peaceful discussion to share
an opinion if others are interested to understand recognizing that not
everyone will understand and not everyone will agree.
The mind needs to deeply understand The Universal Truth of Impermanence
and will need to observe this in the world for itself to acquire wisdom. So,
look around and see for yourself if you can find something that is permanent.
Is the sidewalk permanent? Is it the same color, shape, or texture throughout
the entire city or town where you live? Does the sidewalk remain solid or
does it have cracks? This is impermanence.
Is the weather permanent? Do we experience the same temperature, wind
conditions, and precipitation every day? This is impermanence.
Is a tree permanent? Are the leaves the same color, shape, or texture? Does
the tree remain the same shape permanently or is it constantly changing?
This is impermanence.
Impermanence is a Universal Truth and the more you look around in the
world, the more you will come to understand this truth to acquire wisdom.
This is a foundational Teaching that will help you understand The Four Noble
Truths and the problems within the unEnlightened mind and why you have
not been able to experience permanent happiness in your life. Happiness is
impermanent.
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2.) The Universal Truth of Discontentedness is how the unEnlightened
mind has conditioned feelings based on impermanent conditions. The
unEnlightened mind will base its inner feelings on impermanent conditions
leading to conditioned pleasant feelings, painful feelings, and feelings that
are neither painful-nor-pleasant.
The words discontent, discontented, and discontentedness can capture the
full essence and meaning of what is mostly described across books and
writings about Gotama Buddha’s Teachings where you see the word
“suffering” substitute the word “discontentedness”. Where you see the word
“Dukkha” substitute the word “discontentedness”.
Gotama Buddha’s Teachings, that lead to Enlightenment, are meant to allow
you to find a content mental state that is in the middle, so that the mind is
not affected by impermanence to become “discontent” (oftentimes
discussed as “suffering”).
The word “suffering” is often translated from the word “Dukkha”, used by
Gotama Buddha, which you will see if you are studying Gotama Buddha’s
Teachings in the Pāli language, if you speak with Ordained Practitioners, or
other places in your journey with Gotama Buddha’s Teachings.
Oftentimes the word “suffering” is used in the English language to represent
the subject Gotama Buddha discussed in the Pāli language as “Dukkha”.
However, I have found that the word “discontentedness” is a much better
word to understand and use. This word represents much more than the word
suffering.
The word suffering tends to only bring one’s mind to think of physical or
emotional “pain”. It does not capture the full range of mental feelings that
exist in one’s experiences of daily life. The word “suffering” is ineffective in
bringing a Practitioner’s mind wholly to the understanding shared by Gotama
Buddha. The word suffering will not bring a Practitioner’s mind to
establishing “Right View” as described by Gotama Buddha which is needed
to attain Enlightenment. Thus, offering the word “discontentedness” will
assist a Practitioner to gain the insight needed for establishing a foundation
for further studies and ultimately to attain Enlightenment.
Discontentedness describes the mental state when the mind is
unsatisfied, displeased, uncalm, or unpeaceful. The mind is shaken up,
unsteady, or unstable.
Discontentedness is impermanent but it continues to happen over and over
again because the conditions that are causing the discontentedness still
remain in the unEnlightened mind. The Path to Enlightenment is to train the
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mind to eliminate the conditions that are causing the discontentedness
through dedicated learning, reflecting, and practice of these Teachings.
Discontentedness is a mental state that can arise from physical or emotional
pain through to the slightest unpleasantness of a small odor or slightest of
touches when unpleasant feelings arise. It describes the mental state that
can arise from extreme physical discomfort through to the smallest of needle
pricks, emotional unpleasantries or significant traumas and effects of the
mind. Discontentedness also describes the condition of the mind when there
are feelings of happiness, excitement, elation, thrill, exhilaration, euphoria,
boredom, loneliness, shyness, displeased, uncomfortable, unsatisfied, and
others in the mind.
Discontentedness is a state of being, not a feeling or emotion itself.
When the mind is excited and elated, the mind is uncalm where one does
not have concentration.
The Enlightened mind is beyond pleasure and pain where instead of
experiencing conditioned happiness, excitement and elation based on an
impermanent condition, it will instead experience permanent joy no longer
attaching its inner feelings to impermanent conditions.
Gotama Buddha describes three feelings as discontent. This is referred to as
The Universal Truth of Discontentedness.
The goal of these Teachings is to eliminate discontentedness of mind
providing the mind a permanent place to reside in the mental state of
Enlightenment.
- A pleasant feeling (happiness, excitement, elation, thrill, exhilaration,
euphoria, etc.)
- A painful feeling (sadness, anger, frustration, irritation, annoyance, guilt,
shame, fear, stress, anxiety, etc.)
- A feeling that is neither painful-nor-pleasant (boredom, loneliness,
shyness, displeased, uncomfortable, unsatisfied, etc.)
Happiness can be described as discontentedness because we know those
feelings and pleasures will not last - they are impermanent. Once the
pleasant feelings cease to exist, the mind then oftentimes moves to painful
feelings of sadness, anger, or worse. The mind continues to go through this
constant cycle of chasing pleasant feelings, then experiencing painful
feelings and feelings that are neither painful-nor-pleasant experiencing
discontentedness struggling in life.
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All three of these feelings can be experienced in the unEnlightened mind
which can be described as discontentedness. If we use the word “suffering”,
as has been used in the past, it only describes 1/3 of the meaning of
“dukkha” originally taught by Gotama Buddha. Suffering describes a painful
feeling but it does not describe the other two (2) types of “dukkha” or
feelings taught by Gotama Buddha. Using the word suffering, a Practitioner
would be missing 66.6% of what Gotama Buddha was discussing to
eliminate from the mind, thus, finding it very challenging to ever experience
Enlightenment.
Discontentedness is experienced through The Six Sense Bases. The eyes,
ears, nose, tongue, body, and the mind. These are the six internal sense
bases or the six internal sense faculties. You will see different people using
different language to describe Gotama Buddha’s Teachings because even
how people describe these Teachings is impermanent. It is not steady, fixed,
or constant as different people choose to use different language.
The six internal sense bases experience the six external sense bases of
forms, sounds, odors, flavors, physical objects, and mental objects.
The mind longing for pleasant feelings through the six internal sense bases
for the six external sense bases is one of the significant problems of the
unEnlightened mind described in The Ten Fetters as “sensual desire”. The
mind is chasing after pleasant feelings through The Six Sense Bases looking
to fulfill the objects of its desires through impermanent conditions.
The mind experiences discontentedness through longing for sensual
pleasure through these six (6) sense bases.
The Six Sense Bases
Internal Sense Base External Sense Base
Eyes Forms
Ears Sounds
Nose Odors
Tongue Flavors
Body Physical Objects
Mind Mental Objects
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When seeing an agreeable form through the eyes, one experiences pleasant
feelings. When seeing a disagreeable form through the eyes, one
experiences a painful feeling. The mind is discontent.
When hearing an agreeable sound through the ears, one experiences
pleasant feelings. When hearing a disagreeable sound through the ears, one
experiences a painful feeling. The mind is discontent.
When smelling an agreeable odor through the nose, one experiences
pleasant feelings. When smelling a disagreeable odor through the nose, one
experiences a painful feeling. The mind is discontent.
When tasting an agreeable flavor through the tongue, one experiences
pleasant feelings. When tasting a disagreeable flavor through the tongue,
one experiences a painful feeling. The mind is discontent.
When touching an agreeable physical object through the body, one
experiences pleasant feelings. When touching a disagreeable physical object
through the body, one experiences a painful feeling. The mind is discontent.
When recognizing an agreeable mental object through the mind, one
experiences pleasant feelings. When recognizing a disagreeable mental
object through the mind, one experiences a painful feeling. The mind is
discontent.
Mental objects are mental states. A mental state is a mental quality in which
the qualities of the mind are constant even though the state itself may be
dynamic (i.e. changing).
Through all six (6) sense bases or The Six Doorways to Discontentedness,
the mind experiences pleasant feelings, painful feelings, and feelings that are
neither painful-nor-pleasant. When pleasant feelings, painful feelings, and
feelings that are neither painful-nor-pleasant are experienced, the mind is
discontent. There are more detailed Teachings on this topic in the book “The
Six Sense Bases” (Volume 9) in this same book series.
As the mind chases pleasant feelings, due to the impermanent nature of
these feelings, the mind is then inviting in painful feelings and/or feelings that
are neither painful-nor-pleasant as the mind still has a longing with a strong
eagerness for impermanent conditions to create pleasant feelings. If the
mind is basing its inner pleasant feelings on impermanent conditions, it is
also going to experience painful feelings and feelings that are neither painful-
nor-pleasant based on impermanent conditions. Instead, the mind can be
trained to be inwardly peaceful and calm no longer yearning for pleasant
feelings through conditions which are all impermanent.
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If the mind is unwilling to let go of impermanent conditioned happiness,
it will never experience permanent unconditioned joy of the Enlightened
mind.
To attain Enlightenment, you will need to learn how to “guard” the
doorways to discontentedness and “protect your own contentedness”
through developing a life practice of non-craving, non-desire, non-
attachment, or non-clinging. We are each responsible to “protect or
maintain our own contentedness of mind”, no one else can do that for
us.
Since the mind is not resting in one of these three (3) feelings permanently,
due to the internal feelings being based on impermanent conditions, the
mind is experiencing discontentedness.
The goal of Gotama Buddha’s Teachings and pursuing Enlightenment, is for
the mind to be content which is a permanent place the mind can reside
through liberation of the mind. The mind will be liberated from basing its
internal feelings on impermanent conditions residing permanently peaceful,
calm, serene, and content with joy. To accomplish this, one needs to observe
the truth in Gotama Buddha’s Teachings to acquire wisdom through your
practice of The Teachings and then deeply training the mind.
We acquire wisdom through learning and practicing The Teachings to
observe the same “truths” as Gotama Buddha. The collection of this wisdom
leads to improved ways for the mind to function optimally with purity of
thought and awakened to attain Enlightenment.
Enlightenment is a permanent place for the mind to reside because once you
learn something to acquire wisdom you do not “unlearn” it. You learn
through experience and observation of The Teachings through practice of
The Teachings. There is no belief in these Teachings and practices but
instead experiential learning where you observe the truth in The Teachings
that becomes wisdom. Liberation of the mind by wisdom (i.e. Enlightenment)
is the only mental state that is permanent. Enlightenment is a mental state
where the mind can reside permanently peaceful, calm, serene, and content
with joy.
We will now use the word discontent, discontented, or discontentedness,
rather than suffering or dukkha, throughout this book.
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3.) The Universal Truth of Non-Self is a Teaching that needs to be realized
in the mind that there is “no permanent self” through learning, reflecting, and
practicing to eliminate the mind’s misunderstanding that there is a
permanent self.
The unEnlightened mind will falsely identify the body and/or the mind as
being “the self”. There is a self image and self identity that the mind is
oftentimes interested to project and then protect. The misunderstanding that
the mind has thinking there is a permanent self leads to the mind
continuously wanting to protect the self image and self identity being unable
to remain peaceful and calm when there is a disagreeable experience related
to the self image or self identity.
For example, if someone comments about the self image or self identity in a
way that the mind agrees with, the mind can experience pleasant feelings.
But, if someone comments about the self image or self identity in a way that
the mind disagrees with, the mind can experience painful feelings.
The mind falsely associates the physical body and its appearance as being
“who you are”. The mind thinks that this body or the mind is “you” and
therefore goes out of its way to mentally protect itself when it meets with
disagreeable experiences.
When the mind holds on to a permanent self, one can oftentimes become
very selfish, self centered, self absorbed, and pursue its own selfish desires.
This inhibits a person from being able to observe the life changing wisdom
that we are all interconnected and need to improve the way we function in
the world through giving and sharing living harmoniously with each other.
As long as the unEnlightened mind falsely associates with the physical body
and/or mind as being the self, who “you” are, thinking the body or mind is
“you”, then the mind cannot reside peaceful, calm, serene, and content with
joy because the mind will be fearful and protective of this permanent self.
The mind will become angered, frustrated, or worse as it experiences
disagreeable situations related to the self image and self identity.
But this is a misunderstanding of the unEnlightened mind and as long as it
holds on to this false belief that there is a permanent self, the mind cannot
reside peaceful and calm as it will always be fearful and looking out with
strategies of protection from perceived enemies and disagreeable
experiences.
An animal needs to retain the concept of a permanent self in the mind as this
is how it protects itself in the wild and ensures survival. But, as human
beings, we can reside in the human existence more peacefully through
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realizing that we do not need to hold on to this concept or belief of a
permanent self and, thus, will eliminate a massive amount of fears,
unwholesome protective habits, and discontentedness in the process of
letting go to realize “non-self”.
What truly exists is a physical body and a mind that has come together for
this unique existence. At birth, we were provided a name, a label, that then
makes it easy for everyone to refer to this unique body and mind
combination in this existence. The given name lets everyone know “who we
are” and we can more easily attend to our daily activities roaming and
wandering about the earth.
But then, the unEnlightened mind starts to form a self image and self identity
based on this name that has been given to label the unique existence of this
body and this mind. The mind forms the false perception that this body is
you or that this mind is you. The mind experiences feelings and thinks that is
you and who you are. The mind gets tangled up misunderstanding that there
is a self because it lacks the wisdom it needs to see clearly that there is no
self.
Oftentimes people get so confused that at some point during life one might
proclaim they need to go “find themselves” or they are going to go try to
“discover their true self”. One might say, “they do not even know who they
are anymore”.
This might lead to a journey where they unplug from society or go on a
journey through education, travel, and other experiences seeking to
understand who they truly are as they are not able to identify a “true self”.
One might remain conflicted for many years over who they are becoming
experiencing boredom, loneliness, or other discontent feelings due to not
being able to find or understand “the self”. The mind is searching and
yearning to discover a self but it can never find one though it continues its
pursuit seeking to know and find a self because the mind does not realize
there isn’t one. There is no self yet the mind’s misunderstanding thinking
there is a self can cause the mind to grow increasingly conflicted and
struggle.
This can cause one’s life to come crashing down around them because they
are seeking to find a self but a self does not actually exist. They are on a
never ending journey to find something that does not actually exist.
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The only way out of this constant struggle is to deeply understand there is
“no self” through understanding The Universal Truth of Non-self coming to
realize that the mind can reside more peaceful, calm, serene, and content
with joy when it is not falsely identifying the physical body or the mind as
being a permanent self.
Is the body permanent or impermanent?
Is the mind permanent or impermanent?
So, if the body is impermanent and the mind is impermanent, where is this
permanent self that the mind wants to “hold on” to?
The answer is, there is no permanent self but the unEnlightened mind thinks
there is one and this is a misunderstanding that the mind has, thus, causing
it problems in the world through fears, unwholesome protective habits, and
oftentimes becoming quite selfish being unable to share with others claiming
ownership of everything around us. The false understanding or ignorance
(unknowing of true reality) that the unEnlightened mind has related to The
Universal Truth of Non-self and all these other Teachings sends it into a
constant cycle of trying to fulfill or please the mind with pleasant feelings but
it keeps ending up with repeated discontentedness.
This can all be remedied through learning, reflecting, and practicing
Teachings to eliminate this misunderstanding, misperception, and false belief
in the mind that there is a permanent self.
This comes with consistent learning and practice with guidance from a
Teacher. A Practitioner will need to first have a well developed life practice of
The Eight Fold Path which includes meditation. These core and central
Teachings help prepare the mind to get to a point where it can more clearly
see “there is no self” and be prepared to “let go” of its misunderstanding
that there is a permanent self.
Oftentimes when one is learning The Universal Truth of Non-self, the
Practitioner does not immediately understand it and even if they did, it would
still take a well developed practice of many other Teachings to get to the
point where the mind will be willing to let go of “the self” realizing non-self
which is to eliminate the fetter/taint/pollution of mind described in The Ten
Fetters as “personal existence view”.
Eliminating “personal existence view” to realize “non-self” will be discussed
further in the Chapter titled “Dissolving The Ego: Ego Serves No Purpose”
(Chapter 16).
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Now, onto The Four Noble Truths.
The Four Noble Truths are offered throughout literature of Gotama Buddha’s
Teachings in many forms. It is rare to see the same translation or wording
from any two sources due to impermanence.
The below are The Four Noble Truths as translated from The Pāli Canon, the
original and most complete source of Gotama Buddha’s Teachings.
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The Four Noble Truths
Monks, there are these Four Noble Truths.
What four?
The noble truth of discontentedness,
the noble truth of the cause of discontentedness,
the noble truth of the elimination of discontentedness,
the noble truth of the way leading to the elimination of discontentedness.
And what, Monks, is the noble truth of discontentedness?
It should be said: The Five Aggregates subject to clinging; that is, the form aggregate
subject to clinging, the feeling aggregate subject to clinging, the perception aggregate
subject to clinging, the volitional formation aggregate subject to clinging, the
consciousness aggregate subject to clinging. This is called the noble truth of
discontentedness.
And what, Monks, is the noble truth of the cause of discontentedness?
It is this craving which leads to renewed existence, accompanied by excitement and
desire, seeking excitement here and there; that is craving for sensual pleasures, craving
for existence, craving for extermination. This is called the noble truth of the cause of
discontentedness.
And what, Monks, is the noble truth of the elimination of discontentedness?
It is the remainderless fading away and elimination of the same craving, the giving up
and letting go of it, freedom from it, non-reliance on it. This is called the noble truth of
the elimination of discontentedness.
And what, Monks, is the noble truth of the way leading to the elimination of
discontentedness?
It is this Noble Eight Fold Path, that is, Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right
Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration. This is
called the noble truth of the way leading to the elimination of discontentedness.
These, Monks, are The Four Noble Truths.
Therefore, Monks, an effort should be made to understand: ‘This is discontentedness’;
an effort should be made to understand: ‘This is the cause of discontentedness’; an
effort should be made to understand: ‘This is the elimination of discontentedness’; an
effort should be made to understand: ‘This is the way leading to the elimination of
discontentedness.’
(Gotama Buddha)
(Reference: SN 56.13)
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The following text of The Four Noble Truths is a Teacher’s explanation to
assist a Practitioner’s learning rather than an attempt at a direct translation
of Gotama Buddha’s actual words.
The remaining part of this chapter will be dedicated to helping you to
understand The Four Noble Truths in a way that allows you to understand,
reflect, and practice this important Teaching to establish Right View.
First Noble Truth: Everyone that is unEnlightened will experience
discontentedness. (The noble truth of discontentedness.)
In the first noble truth Gotama Buddha explains discontentedness. There is
no permanent peacefulness, calmness, serenity or contented state with joy
in the mind other than Enlightenment.
All unEnlightened beings will experience discontentedness. If you experience
discontentedness which is a pleasant feeling, a painful feeling, or a feeling
that is neither painful-nor-pleasant, then you know the mind is
unEnlightened.
If the mind experiences:
- A pleasant feeling (happiness, excitement, elation, thrill, exhilaration,
euphoria, etc.)
- A painful feeling (sadness, anger, frustration, irritation, annoyance, guilt,
shame, fear, stress, anxiety, etc.)
- A feeling that is neither painful-nor-pleasant (boredom, loneliness,
shyness, displeased, uncomfortable, unsatisfied, etc.)
…then, you know the mind is discontent and unEnlightened.
There are plenty of unEnlightened beings in the world and is why we
experience so many struggles in daily life. The Path to Enlightenment is for
you to eliminate discontentedness in the mind so that it can reside peaceful,
calm, serene, and content with joy - permanently.
With continued learning, reflection, and practicing of these Teachings, the
mind will move closer to the Enlightened mind.
Experiencing all three of these feelings it can be described as the mind is
discontent, discontented, or experiencing discontentedness.
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Happiness (i.e. pleasant feelings) is based on an impermanent condition,
therefore, it is impermanent - it is unsatisfying and displeasing. If there is
conditioned happiness (i.e. pleasant feelings), it is only a matter of time
before the mind experiences painful feelings or feelings that are neither
painful-nor-pleasant. The mind will continue to experience discontentedness
as long as it has craving/desire/attachment for conditioned pleasant feelings.
Painful feelings and feelings that are neither painful-nor-pleasant are right
around the corner waiting to invade the mind.
An Enlightened mind will experience joy that is beyond pleasure and pain.
The joy will not be conditioned on an impermanent object, therefore, it will be
permanent. An Enlightened being wakes up joyful, is joyful all day long, and
goes to sleep joyful. An Enlightened being can enjoy much more out of life
because the mind is never discontent, it is deeply trained to no longer base
its inner feelings on some impermanent condition.
Discontentedness does not arise in an Enlightened mind.
All beings in the unEnlightened state experience discontentedness of mind
through pleasant feelings, painful feelings, and feelings that are neither
painful-nor-pleasant.
This could be perceived as a pessimistic view however, in order to achieve
contentedness, a Practitioner will need to first understand the
discontentedness in the mind so that with this Right View, a Practitioner can
clear their own discontented state of mind.
If we view the mind, and thus the world as correct, healthy, and a pleasant
place to be then there is no reason to change or adjust our state of
consciousness. It’s through observing the mind and what humans have
created in the world as undesirable that we bring the mind to the
understanding that we need change.
We certainly feel enjoyment, pleasure, and have had plenty of pleasant
experiences in life. However, you have also experienced grave suffering or
mild suffering that if you had the choice, you would not want to repeat. The
purpose of pursuing Enlightenment is to eliminate discontentedness in the
mind and ensure that there is not rebirth into the world to experience the
misery of a new existence. In this way you can experience a peaceful, calm,
serene, and content mind with joy and, thus, a peaceful life. You can escape
The Cycle of Rebirth and experience a better way of life through the pursuit
of Enlightenment.
An Enlightened mind will enjoy the rest of their life with complete peace and
calmness of mind.
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Look at what is in the mind this very moment along with the past or future
thoughts you are having. What do you see? If you are honest with yourself,
you will see discontentedness, suffering, a lifetime of accumulated
discontentedness. This is normal and the state of mind prior to the pursuit of
Enlightenment and for someone unaware of the solution. Your
discontentedness continues over and over without the ability to understand
it or resolve it until you have learned and practiced The Teachings of Gotama
Buddha.
Further, if you look at the world around you carefully, a well learned eye
should start to see discontentedness everywhere. Not just in your own life,
but in the life of most people around you. You should see that everyone you
know, no matter how happy of a face they portray, has discontentedness of
one form or another unless they have attained Enlightenment. All people who
are unEnlightened will experience discontentedness of mind, however the
most important understanding and focus should be on your own mind. You
can resolve the discontentedness in your own mind but you cannot resolve
the discontentedness of someone else’s mind, only they can do that.
When we see the world as an undesirable place to exist, we will naturally be
interested to seek refuge or protection in a higher state of consciousness,
thus, seek Enlightenment - the ultimate goal of Gotama Buddha’s Teachings.
We cannot run from this world or all that has accumulated in the mind, so the
only answer is to seek Teachings, understanding, and protection in the
further progress towards emptying the mind on The Path to Enlightenment.
You will often see phrasing such as “seek refuge in the dharma”. “Dharma”
or in Pāli “Dhamma”, are The Teachings of Gotama Buddha.
By seeking refuge, you are seeking understanding, insight, knowledge,
wisdom, and ultimately as you pursue Enlightenment you will have safety of
the mind through protection of The Teachings and wisdom you have
acquired. The mind will be protected by Gotama Buddha’s Teachings to
protect against the world of discontentedness. The mind will be liberated by
wisdom. The mind will experience the fading away of strong feelings and
ultimately freedom from strong feelings as it is liberated from the problems it
encounters through making decisions with pollution of the mind.
Through the process of learning and emptying the mind, you will attain a
purer and purer mind, thus, a more stable, content, and peaceful existence.
The mind will be purified from the fetters/taints/pollution and, thus, all
discontentedness can be eliminated but one must understand what is
causing the discontentedness and how to eliminate it which is explored in
the remaining portion of The Four Noble Truths.
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