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The Middle Way of the Buddha

February 7, 2007 at 1:44 pm by mahud

Beneath the Bodhi tree the future-buddha entered four subsequent states of meditation, and from these, he remembered his previous lives and gained understanding of the processes of Samsara that all forms of life are subject to. He saw that the cause of rebirth was ignorance which would only cease when the need for sense-pleasures were quenched. As his ignorance of the truth was dispelled he was set free, and seeing things as they truly are, he became an enlightened being. A Buddha.

“The Buddha revealed the Four Noble Truths concerning Dukkha/Duhkha, meaning ’suffering’ or alternatively as ‘anguish’, ‘unsatisfactoriness’ or ‘illâ’.”

The Four Noble Truths

After the Buddha had singlehandedly found the path that leads to freedom, he returned to his former ascetic companions and shared with them the truth (Dharma/Damma) of his discovery, at the deer park in Benares. This was the setting for his first sermon known as the Dhamma-cakka-pavattana sutta, which means ‘discourse on the setting in motion the wheel of truth’. The Buddha revealed the Four Noble Truths concerning Dukkha/Duhkha, a word, originally sanskrit, that can be translated as meaning ‘suffering’ or alternatively as ‘anguish’, ‘unsatisfactoriness’ or ‘ill’.

All is Suffering

The first noble truth is that the nature of existence, as experienced by all living things is suffering. this truth was the cause of the Buddha’s initial agitation when he first encountered old age, disease, and death. Everything that is born is subject to decay and death and is therefore recognized as ‘Anicca’, that is, impermanent. within samsara all are fated to suffer this process repeatedly, not only in this world, but also in the other various levels of existence that can be both heavenly and hellish, the destination determined by an individuals particular karma. Greed, Hatred, and Delusion, being specific to the nature of samsara, are also states of suffering.

No-self: the concept of Anatta

Both dukkha and anicca are categorized as two of the ‘three marks of conditioned existence’, the third being ‘Anatta’ or ‘no-self’. According to Buddhism the individual self is not really a ‘self’ at all but an illusionary construct of five aggregates known as Skhandhas/Skandas. these are;

1. Rupa (form)
2. Vedana (feeling)
3. Sanna (perception)
4. Sankaras (skilled/unskilled actions/tendencies)
5. Vinnana (consciousness)

It is these skandas, in interaction with one another, that are to be understood as being subject to samsara rather than the individual, who does not really exist.

In a Buddhist text known as Milinda’s Questions the body is likened to a chariot. Here, the monk Nagasena demonstates for the benefit of the inquiring King Milinda that as the individual parts of the ‘self’ do not contain the ‘self’ within themselves, then “How can there be a self?”, when the individual parts are viewed collectively? Likewise, the seperate parts of a chariot have no ‘chariot’ within them, so how is it that a chariot exists when the parts are connected? The answer is “there is no chariot” and similarly neither is there a self. the ‘self’ is merely a convenient label of no real substance (Horner, I.B ‘trans’, in Beckerlegge, 2001, p.349-51). And so, the individual is seen as anatta.

“As all wrong desires have adverse causes, they also have adverse effects, which in turn become causes of more forms of suffering.”

The Cause of Suffering

The second noble truth concerns the cause, or ‘Uprising’, of suffering. Dukkha is born from ignorance and perpetuated through our desire for sense-pleasures. Existence is perceived as a series of conditions that function within a wheel of cause and effect known as Paticcasamuppada, which means ‘Dependent Origination’ or ‘Conditional Arising’. It is all wrong desires that keep the wheel turning. As all wrong desires have adverse causes, they also have adverse effects, which in turn become causes of more forms of suffering. The Buddha regarded individuals to be “on fire” through their attachment to objects of desire (Horner, I.B ‘trans’, in Beckerlegge ,2001, p.344). In feeding the flames of the senses, we perpetuate the false belief that we are real, and as we persist in ‘Ever-Becoming’ samsara retains its awfulhold:

“If this is, that comes to be;
From the arising of this, that arise;”

“ However;
If this is not, that does not come to be;
From the stopping of this, that is stopped”
‘Majjhima-Nikaya 2.32′(Horner, B.I ‘trans’, in Zaehner, R.C, ‘ed’, 2001, p.277)

“The root meaning of Nirvana, or Nibbana, is to ‘blow out’ such as the blowing out of a fire… And when the desires for sense-objects are ‘blown out’ Nirvana is attained.”

The End of Suffering

With the third noble truth the Dharma of Buddhism makes the transition from darkness to light as it reveals, optimistically, that there is an end to suffering. By dispelling ignorance and quenching the flames of sense-desire, the realm of conditional existence, along with all impermanence and suffering that distinquishes it, can be transcended:

Nirvana

There is an island which you cannot go beyond. It is a place of nothingness, a place of non-possession and of non-attachment. It is the total end of death and decay, and this is why i call it Nibbana (the extinquished, the cool).

‘Kappas Question in the Sutta-Nipata’ (Saddhatissa. H, in Beckerlegge, 2001, p.349)

The root meaning of Nirvana, or Nibbana, is to ‘blow out’ such as the blowing out of a fire. The word ‘skanda’ means ‘heap’ or ‘bundle’ and can refer to a bundle of wood. As already mentioned, the burning of individuals by their desire for sense-objects has them caught up in samsara and a state of ever-becoming. the skandas which constitute the self, or rather, the no-self, can be compared to a burning bundle of wood that needs to be extinquished. And when the desires for sense-objects are ‘blown out’ Nirvana is attained.

The Eight-Fold Path

The fourth noble truth is the path that is to be followed if there is to be an end of suffering. It is the practice of Buddhism Itself, known as the Eight-Fold Way, which is often divided into three categories.

These are:

Wisdom

1) perfect understanding.

2) perfect resolve, which are both related to a correct knowledge and application of the Buddha’s teachings in the life of an individual.

Morality

3) perfect speech, that is, talking in a kind and truthful manner.

4) Perfect action by dealing honestly with others and avoiding
sense-pleasure.

5) perfect livelihood, that is, earning an honest living that
doesn’t exploit other human beings or cater for sense-pleasures.

Mental Discipline

6) Perfect effort, which is the development and maintenance
of skilled mental states and ridding oneself of unskilled
mental states.

7) perfect mindfulness of the body, feelings, mind and mental states

perfect concentration, which is to be acheived through the disipline
of ‘Jhana’, that is, meditation…

The Middle Way

…The forth noble truth is also known as the Middle Way. Buddhist meditation should conform with the middle way, as reflected in the legend of the Buddha when he positioned himself beneath the tree of awakening. the mind needs to be balanced if the realm of extremes is to be transcended. the middle way lies “between the two extremes of self-indulgence…” as reflected in the person of Siddhartha the prince, “…and self-torture” as reflected in the person of Siddhartha the emaciated ascetic (Horner, I.B, in Zaehner R.C ‘ed’, 2001,p.271). The Hindu practice of extreme self-denial, that was, and continues to be performed by ascetics in the pursuit of Moksha/Mukti was rejected by the Buddha. Such overt zelousness is concidered to be without true value, as is indifference towards spiritual attainment.

“the mind needs to be balanced if the realm of extremes is to be transcended. ”

Know the truth yourself

However, individuals must apply themselves to the way of the Buddha, and are encouraged to investigate spiritual matters for themselves, and not blindly accept what a prestigious teacher may claim, out of respect. It is when you know the truth yourself, that it is to be accepted (Woodward, F.L ‘trans’, ‘Kalama Sutta’ in Beckerlegge, 2001, p.348). Also, the monastic lifestyle can be viewed as embodying the principle of the middle way. For two and a half millennia it has remained the prefered enviroment conducive to the attainment of Nirvana. Harvey observes that it lies between the extremes of a reclusive existence and the life of a brahmanic householder. Concerning the four noble truths, Cousins tells us that the first truth is to be ‘fully comprehended’; the second is to be ‘abandoned’; the third is to be ‘made visible’; the fourth is to be ‘brought into being’.

Transformation

It is for the transformation from a negative to a positive state that the path of Buddhism is the be followed. It requires the rejection of what is unskilful and the cultivation of what is skillful, such as generosity, compassion for all beings, and wisdom (the opposites of greed, hatred, and delusion mentioned above). It is a path that leads to calm, balance and detatchment from desire, and the indescribable Nirvana that awaits beyond.

Bibliography

• Beckerlegge, Gwilym (Ed), 2001 ‘The world Religions Reader. 2nd Edition’ (routledge).
• Campbell, Joseph, 2000 ‘Oriental Mythology’ (Souvenir Press).
• Stryk, Lucien (Ed), 1968 ‘World of the Buddha:
  A reader - From the three baskets to modern Zen’ (Doubleday).
• Smith, Jonathan, Z (Ed), 1996 ‘The Harpercollins dictionary of Religion’.

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