Four Noble Truths: The First Noble Truth

Part Four: Four Noble Truths: The First Noble Truth - Dukkha.
• Four Noble Truths: The...
Part Three: The Four Noble Truths: Step by Step to the Truth.
• Four Noble Truths: Ste...
Part Two: The Four Noble Truths: The Buddha - A True Teacher.
- • Four Noble Truths: The...
Part One: The Four Noble Truths - The Central Core of Everything the Buddha Taught.
- • Four Noble Truths: The...
#dukkha #dhamma #fournobletruths #budhism
The Buddha began his explanation of the first noble truth-the truth of suffering-not with a definition but with a list of common examples: the suffering of birth, aging, and death; of sorrow, lamentation, physical pain, distress, and despair; of association with the unbeloved, of separation from the loved, and of not getting what you want.
Except for the last, none of these examples needs any explanation. The Canon explains “not getting what you want” as referring to cases where you’re subject to any of the other examples of suffering-such as aging, illness, and death-and want to be freed from them simply through the power of wishing or prayer (MN 141). The frustration of not being able to wish these forms of suffering away does nothing but add more suffering on top of the suffering already there. Instead, as we’ve noted, you have to focus your desires on following a course of actions that will actually bring all these forms of suffering to an end.
Up to this point, the Buddha’s explanation of suffering deals in things that are perfectly familiar. We’ve all suffered in these ways ourselves, or seen other people suffer from them.
Then, however, he summarizes the suffering common to all these examples, and this is where he enters unfamiliar territory. In short, he says, the five clinging-aggregates are suffering. This, too, he says, is something we’ve all experienced, simply that we don’t understand it in these terms. Only when we understand what he’s referring to by this summary can we begin to comprehend the first noble truth."
First, The Words Aggregate And Clinging:
"“Aggregate” is a translation of the Pali word khandha, which means, “heap,” “group,” or “mass.” It also means the trunk of a tree-a meaning that, we’ll see, is actually relevant to this context. The use of the English term “aggregate” to translate khandha comes from a distinction, popular in 18th and 19th century European philosophy, between conglomerates of things that work together in an organic unity-called “systems”-and other conglomerates that are mere random collections of things, called “aggregates.” Translating khandha as “aggregate” conveys the useful point that even though the physical and mental processes that are classed as khandhas can seem to have an organic unity, they’re actually shaped by discrete choices. Still, it’s important to bear in mind that the mind does shape the aggregates toward purposes, and that although those purposes can often be random or conflicting, they can also be more or less consistent-a fact that makes a path of practice possible.

[@saddha1]

5 clinging aggregates are which does not allow for mental convergence. It causes mental divergence. Eightfold Path replaces these aggregates with convergence.

[@ElmerTan-ut4qn]

Buddhism officially came to China in 67AD. The Emperor had sent special envoys to China to invite Buddhist monks to come to China to teach Buddhism, which in that period, was regarded as an educational system and not as a religion. Regretfully, about two hundred years ago, the practice of Buddhism had taken on a more religious facade. It was Master Chin Kung who corrected this misunderstanding, by leading us back to the original form of Buddhism as taught by Buddha Shakyamuni. Today, there are Four Types of Buddhism. First, there is the religious Buddhism, which can be witnessed in temples throughout Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia etc. This does not represent the real Buddhism. Second, there is the academic Buddhism being taught in many universities today, where Buddhism being treated purely as philosophy, an academic pursuit, especially in Japan. Third, and the most unfortunate of all, is the total degeneration of Buddhism as a cult. This third type of Buddhism is much more damaging to the public than the first two types. Finally, there is the traditional Buddhism, the teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni in its true essence, which is very rare in our day and age. Buddhism is an education of wisdom and it is not a religion. 🙏🙏🙏Amituofo

[@saddha1]

Here I agree, it is an education in wisdom and self discovery unlike any other. It is literally observance of impermanence in all aspects of the 5 Khandas of suffering and how these 5 Khandas distort our view and literally create our sense perceptions. Namyoho Renge Kyo.