English
But in the truth's showing, of phenomena that arise, craving is the chief, the principal one. No ignorance, it means, no place for ignorance, in the Noble Truth of Origin. This should be seen. Cessation of defilements, by temporary halt, by eradication, is called the Truth of Cessation. Nibbāna is called, the Noble Truth of Cessation. In the six worldly purifications, the path factors are called, the Truth of the Path. The Noble Eightfold Path itself, is called the Noble Truth of the Path. The word 'ariya' here, sometimes, somewhere, for some, from some cause, in some way, truly denotes, the highest meaning. But in the commentary, as explained, the meaning of 'sacca' is shown. In "Noble Truth of Suffering," the meaning of oppression, the meaning of conditioned, the meaning of torment, the meaning of changeability— by these four meanings, of each three-fold phenomenon, like the eye and so on, the suffering-truth should be known. Therein, the conditioned meaning, and the changeability meaning, are as explained before, in conditioned suffering, and suffering from change. From the word's meaning, 'conditioned' means, that which is conditioned by causes. It is said, it does not arise, nor continue, without the suffering, of being conditioned by causes, like kamma and so on. A change becoming otherwise, is changeability. It is both decay, and disintegration. In "meaning of oppression," 'oppression' means, that which is oppressed. 'Oppression' means, that which oppresses. 'Oppression' means, that which is oppressed. 'Meaning' is nature. "That whose meaning is oppression," is the analysis. Just as, in the womb of a poor woman, a son is born. And he, constantly oppressed, by various diseases, constantly oppresses his mother, with the suffering of care. And the arising, of such a son, in her womb, is indeed an act of oppression, for that woman. In the same way, those phenomena, like the eye and so on, constantly oppressed, by old age and death, constantly oppress, the person possessing them, with the suffering of care. And the arising of these, in his continuum, is indeed an act of oppression for him. As it is said, monks, the eye... Its arising, standing, coming into being, manifestation. This is the arising of suffering. The standing of diseases, the manifestation of aging and death. That, monks, which is the arising of the ear, of the nose, of the tongue, of the body, of the mind, and so on. "Being tormented" means being intensely burned by the eleven fires such as the fire of lust. As it is said: The eye is burning. With what is it burning? It is burning with the fire of lust. With the fire of hatred. With the fire of delusion. With birth. With old age. With death. With sorrow. With lamentation. With pain. With displeasure. With despair, I say it is burning. The ear is burning. The nose is burning. The tongue is burning. The body is burning. The mind is burning. "Burning," "tormenting," "being intensely burned" are here one in meaning. Here it might be said, the Noble Path also, for a long time through the suffering of accumulating perfections, and in the final existence through the suffering of cultivating purity of virtue and so on, indeed greatly oppresses the individual. And so too are things subject to change. Therefore, might it not also be included in the truth of suffering by reason of oppression and so on? No. Because it is for the complete appeasement of all suffering. For it, arising once for an individual who has fully experienced the aforementioned suffering of accumulation, arises while expelling all kinds of defilements. And ceasing, it ceases while appeasing all future suffering of the cycle of existence in beginningless samsara. And compared to the appeased future suffering, the aforementioned suffering of accumulation is not worth counting. And breaking up, it breaks up only after giving the unsurpassed bliss of liberation. Therefore, even due to its conditions of change, there is no loss whatsoever for the individual, so it is not included in the truth of suffering. But worldly phenomena, arising and continuing, arise and continue only after greatly oppressing with the aforementioned sufferings of formations. And ceasing, they cease only after generating great burning suffering and yoking the individual to the endless suffering of the cycle of existence, which is like a razor-wheel. Therefore, only these are absolutely suffering by reason of oppression and so on. By this, even the conditions leading to Nibbana... Taking a trace of the formations, the connection with the truth of suffering is turned back. Here, "The Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering" means that the mass of suffering, called existence and non-existence, originates. Making it arise again and again, without interruption, it arises, it brings forth, it increases – that is the origin of suffering. In four senses – the sense of accumulation, the sense of cause, the sense of connection, the sense of hindrance – the origin of suffering as greed should be understood. Therein, "the sense of accumulation" means the further spreading, the piling up, of the mass of suffering connected with sensual objects in each existence, called existence and non-existence. "The sense of cause" means making it continuous and giving it forth, yielding it, it is said. "The sense of connection" means firmly binding to the mass of suffering itself. "The sense of hindrance" means, therefore, hindering the means of release from that, obstructing it, is the meaning. Here, "The Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering" means the cessation of the suffering of the cycle of existence, the cessation of suffering by way of attaining the nature of non-arising, of wearing out. Or, suffering ceases, it does not continue in this – thus, the cessation of suffering. In four senses – the sense of escape, the sense of seclusion, the sense of the unconditioned, the sense of the deathless – Nibbāna as the cessation of suffering should be understood. Therein, "the sense of escape" means the sense of being freed by the freedom of escape. "The sense of seclusion" means the sense of being secluded from the hindrance of the suffering of the cycle of existence. "The sense of the unconditioned" means the sense of the absence of the suffering of formations. "The sense of the deathless" means the sense of the absence of the suffering of death. Here, "The Path Leading to the Cessation of Suffering" means that which leads to, brings about, the cessation of suffering – thus, leading to the cessation of suffering. That which is to be practiced by way of making it an acquisition in one's own continuum – thus, the path. And it is the path leading to the cessation of suffering – thus, the analysis. In four senses – the sense of leading out, the sense of cause, the sense of vision, the sense of dominance – the Noble Eightfold Path as the path to the cessation of suffering should be understood. Therein, "the sense of leading out" means turning back the stream of the cycle of existence, which begins with "ignorance conditions formations," and so on. The meaning of going forth against the current of the cycle, beginning with the cessation of ignorance, the cessation of formations, and so on. The meaning of cause is the establishment of the well-established state of all noble qualities. The meaning of insight is the penetration of the Four Noble Truths by way of abandoning delusion, which is called ignorance and not seeing. The meaning of sovereignty is shining forth as one's own master, by attaining the state of freedom through liberation from the slavery of craving. For worldly paths, being objects of craving, do not overcome the slavery of craving. And here, these beings are entirely averse to suffering, fearful of suffering. And those which generate suffering in themselves, in them, they produce the perception of an enemy. But their own absolute suffering, or that which causes absolute suffering, they do not know. Therefore, whatever actions they exert themselves in for their own liberation from suffering, that, that results only in the increase of their own suffering. What then is absolute suffering? And what causes absolute suffering? Past, future, and present existences, pertaining to one's own self-existence, the phenomena of the three realms themselves, these are indeed one's own absolute sufferings. Why? Because only when liberated from them is there liberation from all sufferings, and when not liberated, there is no liberation. One's own craving itself is indeed one's own cause of absolute suffering. Why? Because only when it is abandoned is there liberation from absolute sufferings, and when not abandoned, there is no liberation. Similarly, these beings are entirely desirous of happiness, delighting in happiness. And those which generate happiness in themselves, in them, they produce the perception of a dear friend. But their own absolute happiness, or the path to absolute happiness, they do not know. Therefore, whatever actions they exert themselves in for the increase of their own happiness, that, that results only in the increase of their own suffering. What then is absolute happiness? And what is the path to absolute happiness? The absence itself of the phenomena of absolute suffering is indeed one's own absolute happiness. The path of abandoning that which causes absolute suffering itself is indeed one's own path to absolute happiness. Showing this meaning, it should be understood that he taught these words of the Four Noble Truths. That which is to be explained: "The non-arising cessation of suffering, here, by this, is indeed the cessation of suffering" - so it is said. There, "by this" - this is not fitting. For Nibbāna is not a co-operating cause with suffering in the accomplishment of the non-arising cessation of suffering. "Remaining mental factors" means the fifty mental factors remaining after feeling and perception.