Sense

THE PANORAMA SENSES 1. The Animal Teachings 2. Psychology Of The Panorama 3. Civilisations Habitual Ruts 4. Buddhism and Wheels 5. The Great Spirit 6.+7. Inner Body Senses CONTACT ME

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The Fourth Noble Truth is the same as The Eightfold Path, it's just a different name. The Fourth Noble Truth maps out eight steps to end Dukkha, generate Sukkha, and be free from Karma (repetitions).

The Eightfold Path is self-explanatory and seems relatively accurately transmitted over the years.

The steps of the Eightfold Path are broadly understood as Right Understanding or View, Right Thought or Resolve, Right Speech, Right Action or Conduct, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration or Absorption.

Of the oldest, trusted, Pali texts, the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna gives the most detailed explanation of these eight steps, with explanations which are not included in short summary versions.

I give commentaries on the first and last three steps of the Eightfold Path.

Suffering is the translation of Dukkha. Right Understanding does not refer to the right understanding of the Sun and Moon, or genetics, general philosophy or anything else except Dukkha

Therefore whenever i see the word 'suffering', i translate this back to Buddha's original idea, i remember wheels, and read 'dukkha', 'problematic', or 'not running smoothly'.

There are three different modern translations of the most important explanatory word. The same Pali word has been translated as desire – will (implying will-power) – and intention.

Here, we can witness vividly the problems with translation even in modern times, we can only imagine how problematic this was with multiple translations in pre literate times.

To summarise these rather confusing texts for easy understanding: Right Effort asks us to generate either desire, or will, or intention, for wholesome states in four instances.

1. to stop unwholesome states arising, 2. to give up unwholesome states which have arisen, 3. to encourage wholesome states arising, and 4. to maintain wholesome states which have arisen.

There is no need to read the following three original texts thoroughly. Bold print is mine for speed reading.

I believe U Jotika & U Dhamminda are on the right track with "intention". But Thanissaro is spot on with "desire". Right Effort tells us to DESIRE wholesome states and to avoid unwholesome states.

Initially we may think that will power and concentration are the correct interpretation, because we think 'desire is the cause of suffering', and so we need to subdue desire.

But the idea of using the energy inherent in desire makes sense in the context of The Second Truth where we learnt that desire leads to repetition.

We are being asked to generate wholesome karma rather than unwholesome karma – to turn the wheels in a wholesome direction – as a prelude to being free from karmic repetitions.

And, we are being asked to judge for ourselves whether it's wholesome or not, so we are also generating something similar to what Christian's call conscience.

The pleasure of exciting things, promises, dreams, planning or hoping for the next future pleasure, are easy to fill ourselves with, and give us a sense of purpose which appears to satisfy us. Whereas feelings of contentment or satisfaction are not as exciting, they are not as vivid or noticeable. So we need attention and time to reflect on our feelings and the quality of any pleasure.

(Question to scientists/psychologists: Is this the difference between what makes us generate dopamine or adrenaline? Adrenaline seems easier for the body to produce than dopamine.)

Applying awareness to pleasure enables us to discern between things which do us good, and things which excite us. This generates 'right effort' in a wholesome direction.

Being aware of pleasurable feelings is not heretical. Mindfulness of pleasurable neutral and displeasurable feelings is the Second Foundation of The Four Foundations of Mindfulness in the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna.

Both "Achtsamkeit" and "l'attention" have overtones of carefulness, attentiveness, respect and caution. A word with these same overtones may be "alertness" or "watchfulness".

The word 'mindfulness' is a misinterpretation. Mind is only one of the Buddhist Six Sense Bases. The texts instruct us to be aware with all six senses (touch, sight, hearing, taste, smell, and mind). The implication of being 'full of mind' is misleading.

All modern Buddhist thought has occurred in, or in collusion with English-speaking countries. It is difficult to estimate the effect this mistranslation may have had.

In The Second Foundation, emotions is a far better word than the generally used vague word 'feelings'. Emotions are what motivate us, and generate motion in our lives. It is an awareness of emotions of pleasure and displeasure which generate right effort.

However the accepted title is Right Concentration. Throughout general literature and summaries in other Buddhist texts, Right Concentration is almost always given as the Eighth Step.

Concentration is completely different to absorption.

The simplest way to practice concentration is to focus one pointedly on something like the breathing, some Buddhists do this for hours at a time. The simplest way to practice absorption is with panoramic sensing.

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