Peace? What is peace to us when someone we love is gone? Going all-in with the Death Dhamma means really going to the source.
I invited some of our wise teachers from season 1 to come back to the podcast and share their favorite stories or teachings about clinging and aversion. And one of them replied back to me, “Oh, so you are talking about the 2nd Noble Truth?”
Yes, I am!
The Buddha’s first teaching was called the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, which means the Turning of the Wheel of Truth. This discourse was given to the five ascetics who were his former companions, at the Deer Park in Isipatana (now called Sarnath), near Benares, India.
The Buddha started the discourse by advising the five ascetics to give up two extremes. These were indulgence in sensual pleasures and the tormenting of the body (self-indulgence and self-mortification).
He advised against too much sensual pleasure because these pleasures were base, worldly, not noble, and unhelpful in spiritual development. On the other hand, tormenting the body was painful, not noble, and also unhelpful in spiritual development. He advised them to follow the Middle Way,
The Four Noble Truths. They are the truth of suffering; its cause; its end; and the way to its end. Everything in this world is full of suffering, and the cause of suffering is craving. The end of suffering is nirvana. The way to the end of suffering is via the Noble Eightfold Path. Don’t worry we will definitely visit the eightfold path at some point during this season.
But today, we are all about the truth of suffering. And that craving is the root – where craving means wanting something or really trying to avoid something. Remember the episode in Season 2, The Promise of Impermanence – and the story of Mary Carol as she tries to negotiate with her body over being sick?
She was clinging to the idea that she could control her illness and of course, she had aversion to being sick. And that just made it worse.
So you know this, you know the four noble truths, but do you know them intellectually or do you know them in your heart? Is the truth of suffering front and center in your life?
This was not in the Buddha’s first teaching because it was unimportant. He did not start with some throw-away lesson just to see who was listening. He had a profound experience, he woke up, and he saw the truth of our existence.
And after some convincing, the Buddha decides to teach what he has learned.
Now let’s fast forward, the Buddha teaches for about 40 years and then he dies. Or really he obtains nirvana or Nibbana – he is no longer subject to rebirth. Why? Because he has gained release from suffering. He does not cling, he does not experience aversion. And if you consider his body of teaching, the thousands of lessons he taught, the thousand of lessons his monks taught – why? What was the reason? To show us how to live in a way that we could gain release from suffering.
Instructions on how to live good lives and do no harm and act with compassion and develop equanimity. And some very deep teachings on dependent origination and form and consciousness. Not so that you can sit on your cushion and develop psychic powers. So that you can transcend suffering.
And while the basics – like the idea of the four noble truths are easy to comprehend. That does not make it easy to carry out. I have always felt like the Buddha was such a skillful teacher, and he knew this was difficult, so he presented it to us using many similes and seeking to help us to understand. So that then we could engage in the practice.
And ultimately it’s “Oh, you thought you would live forever, or oh, you thought this person would always be by your side,” Nope! That’s our recognition of death, and that is the ultimate impermanence and with it can come to the biggest or most intense clinging or aversion you might ever experience.
As we acknowledge our attachment, as we come to face-to-face with it, we sit with it, we greet it by name, and we come closer to our release from suffering. And that is what it is all about.
I hope you will join me in reclaiming peace by connecting with clinging and aversion.