The
blessed Buddha once said:
One should dwell reflecting on all phenomena as mental states in the
light of these Four Noble Truths.
How does one do so?
Here, one sees, understands, and knows it as it verily is:
This
and such is suffering!
This craving is the cause & origin of all suffering!
This absence of craving is the ceasing of all suffering!
This Noble 8-fold Way is the
method to terminate all suffering!
And
what, bhikkhus, is this 1st
Noble Truth of Suffering?
Birth is suffering, ageing is suffering, decay is suffering, death is
suffering, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and discontent are
suffering, being joined with any disliked is suffering, being
separated from any liked is suffering, not getting what one wants is
suffering, & getting what one not wants is suffering, in short, the
five clusters of clinging are suffering ... !!! ... !!!
And
what, bhikkhus, is birth?
In whatever being & group of individuality, there is birth, coming
into being, emergence, appearance, manifestation of the 5 clusters of
clinging, development of the ability to sense & experience, that,
bhikkhus, is called birth...
And
what, bhikkhus, is ageing?
In whatever being & group of individuality, there is ageing, decaying,
broken teeth, grey hair, wrinkled skin, shrinking & fading away,
weakening of the ability to sense, that, bhikkhus, is called ageing...
And
what, bhikkhus, is death?
In whatever being & group of individuality, there is a passing away,
cutting off,
disappearance, death, dying, an ending, a breaking-up of the clusters,
a loss of the body, a loss of the mind, that, bhikkhus, is called
death...
And what, bhikkhus, is sorrow?
Whenever, by any kind of tragedy, anyone is feeling pain, sorrow,
frustration, distress, internal misery, or internal sadness,
that bhikkhus, is called sorrow...
And
what, bhikkhus, is lamentation?
Whenever, by any kind of misfortune, anyone is affected by something
painful and there is crying out, grieving, moaning, wailing and
weeping, that, bhikkhus, is called lamentation...
And what
is pain?
Whatever bodily painful feeling, bodily unpleasant feeling, painful or
unpleasant feeling resulting from bodily contact, that, bhikkhus is
called pain...
And what, bhikkhus, is sadness?
Whatever mental painful feeling, mental unpleasant feeling, painful or
unpleasant sensation resulting from mental contact, that,
bhikkhus, is called sadness...
And what, bhikkhus, is discontent?
Whenever, by any kind of anguish, anyone is affected by some
disappointment, dissatisfaction, discomfort, dismay, uneasiness,
frustration, that, bhikkhus, is called discontent...
And what bhikkhus, is being joined with the disliked?
Here whoever has unwanted, undesirable and disliked sights, sounds,
smells, tastes, touches or mental states, or whoever meets
enemies wishing them unhappy insecurity, with whom they are forced
into association, connection, dependence, grouping with, that,
bhikkhus, is called being joined with the disliked...
And what
is being separated from the liked?
Here whoever has what is wanted, liked, pleasant sights, sounds,
smells, tastes, touches or mental states, or whoever enjoys
company of well-wishers of good, of comfort & security, mother or
father, brother or sister, younger or elders, friends or colleagues,
and then is loosing this company, connection, or union,
that, bhikkhus is called being separated from the liked...
And
what, bhikkhus, is not getting what one wants & getting what one not
wants?
In beings subject to birth, ageing, decay, sickness & death, bhikkhus,
this wish arises: Oh may we not meet any birth, ageing, decay,
sickness & death. But such cannot be gained by naive wishing. In
beings prone to sorrow lamentation, pain, sadness, stress &
frustration this childish wish arises: Oh may we not be afflicted
by any sorrow lamentation, pain, sadness, stress nor frustration,
despite none such ever can be won by mere wishing. That is not getting
what one wants while getting what one not wants...
And
what, bhikkhus, in brevity, are the five clusters of clusters of
clinging?
The five clusters of clusters of clinging are as follows:
The
cluster of clinging to form,
The cluster of clinging to feeling,
The cluster of clinging to perception,
The cluster of clinging to mental constructions,
The cluster of clinging to kinds of consciousness.
These
are, in short, the five clusters of clusters of clinging, that are
suffering.
And that, bhikkhus, is called the 1st
Noble
Truth of Suffering...
Source (edited extract):
The Long Speeches of the Buddha. Digha Nikaya.
Book II [308-]
Thread: The Foundations of
Awareness.
Mahāsatipatthāna
Sutta
22.
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=251033
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/digha/index.html