|
The Noble Truth of the Origin of suffering (dukkhadukkha samudaya ariya sacca)
The definition
"And this, monks is the noble truth of the origination of
dukkha: the craving that makes for further becoming — accompanied by
passion & delight, relishing now here & now there — i.e.,
craving for sensual pleasure, craving for becoming, craving for
non-becoming."
— SN LVI.11
Craving inevitably leads to more dukkha
If this sticky, uncouth craving
overcomes you in the world,
your sorrows grow like wild grass
after rain.
If, in the world, you overcome
this uncouth craving, hard to escape,
sorrows roll off you,
like water beads off
a lotus.
— Dhp 335-336
If its root remains
undamaged & strong,
a tree, even if cut,
will grow back.
So too if latent craving
is not rooted out,
this suffering returns
again
&
again.
— Dhp 338
Abandoning craving opens up the possibility of Awakening
"Monks, any desire & passion with regard to craving for forms
is a defilement of the mind. Any desire & passion with regard to
craving for sounds... craving for aromas... craving for flavors...
craving for tactile sensations... craving for ideas is a defilement of
the mind. When, with regard to these six bases, the defilements of
awareness are abandoned, then the mind is inclined to renunciation.
The mind fostered by renunciation feels malleable for the direct
knowing of those qualities worth realizing."
— SN XXVII.8
| Source: Reproduced and reformatted from Access to
Insight edition © 2005 For free distribution. This work may be
republished, reformatted, reprinted, and redistributed in any medium.
It is the author's wish, however, that any such republication and
redistribution be made available to the public on a free and
unrestricted basis and that translations and other derivative works be
clearly marked as such. |
|
