Beyond the Stream of the World by Venerable Acariya Thoon Khippapañño

Author:Venerable Acariya Thoon Khippapañño
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 1989-06-30T22:00:00+00:00

Extinguish Suffering and Its Cause with Wisdom

The Lord Buddha took suffering as his first point because it is something that appears blatantly in the body and mind. It has occurred continuously since birth and as a result of birth. Always use wisdom to think analytically about suffering. If you are not aware of the suffering happening to your body and mind, you will never know the cause of suffering. And if you do not know the cause of suffering, the suffering due to birth will surely happen to you again and again. A Dhamma student must try to understand this point because it is the point of returning to the state of being. The word “vatta” means, “cycling”. Each being recycles at this point - its ignorance about the cause for the cycling of lives. The result of the ignorance is that one is cycling endlessly in the wheel of rebirth. So the cause of suffering is the important turning point, the very subtle one that can be understood by the refined insight of wisdom. The cause of suffering, when known, can be destroyed with sharp wisdom, and the cycle is torn apart.

Dhamma practice to know and see the Noble Truths requires sharpness of wisdom to discern and analyze the truth in terms of cause and effect. One must think analytically about suffering, its cause and the techniques to eliminate its cause. Nirodha or the cessation of suffering is the final result that one needs not be concerned about. It is the Dhamma known only for oneself when one’s practice reaches a point of fullness. When one reaches that point, nirodha will be the Dhamma that destroys defilements completely. At that point even though one has never learned the meaning of nirodha before, it will not be a problem. Nirodha is the destination at the end of the road. When walking along the road there is no need to worry about the destination. One needs not anticipate what it is like. As long as one follows the right way, one will see the end of the road for oneself, with no need to ask anyone what the end is like; what freedom from suffering, defilement, craving and ignorance in the mind is like; how purity with no states of being and birth will be experienced. These are things that should not be conjectured about. In the very second that one reaches the level of the Noble Ones, one knows for oneself with no need to ask anyone at all.

The important thing is to practice the Dhamma in accordance with the Noble Path. The Four Foundations of Mindfulness (Satipatthāna): body, feeling, mind and Dhamma, are also incorporated into the Noble Path. Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration in the Noble Path are controlled by Right View. Right View is like the airplane captain or the automobile driver who alone knows where to go can take all of his passengers to the destination safely.

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