Hi Ed,
You asked me to post something about the essential Theravada teaching.
Let me say that I don't consider myself quite able to do this in a
full, succinct or balanced way, but here at least is an effort I made.
For the record, I am not especially interested in persuading anyone. I
do this because you asked me to, and because there is no one else here
to speak for the Theravada.
In the Pali canon, the Buddha refers to his teaching as the sadhamma, or
the good law, often simple the Dhamma for short, or Dharma in Sanskrit.
He also clearly states that the measure of any teaching that can be
considered to be from him, and authentic, would be the presence of the
Four Noble Truths at the core of that teaching. These are, as I am sure
you know:
* The Noble Truth of Suffering
* The Noble Truth of the cause of suffering
* The Noble Truth of the End of Suffering
* The Noble Truth of the Eightfold path that leads to the end of
suffering
He himself would often state: "Four things, and four things only do
I teach: suffering, its cause, its ending and the way."
The eightfold path, as I am sure you already know is: Right
understanding, right intentions, right speech, right conduct, right
livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.
Traditionally these can be divided into three groups: Sila, samadhi and
pañña or virtue, concentration and wisdom. The proper cultivation of
this path leads the destruction of the three unwholesome roots that are
the cause of suffering: greed, hatred and delusion. This is what
Theravada, or the Way of the Elders is about, no more and less.
I would say that in contrast to Japanese Zen, which seems to have a
strongly anti-intellectual style to it, the Buddha's teaching as
recorded in the Pali Canon, and practicse in the Way of the Elders,
emphasizes having a clear understanding of the teaching as being an
essential part of the guidance process. This would be called mundane or
unverified right understanding. This includes all of the basics of the
teaching: the five aggregates, the three signs of being (anicca, anatta
and dukkha), the six sense spheres with their six objects, the reality
of the Unconditioned, and co-dependent origination etc. Each limb of the
eightfold path is to be understood, so they too are included in right
understanding. With time mundane unverified right-understanding become
mundane verified right-understanding as insight (vipassana) and
understanding (pañña) are developed. Eventually, when the
Unconditione is realized, mundane right-understanding become, lokutara
or supermundane right-understanding of the Deathless, Nibbana.
The Buddha also describes, in the Pali cannon, another way of talking
about right understanding as the four aspects of clear comprehension:
clear comprehension of the Dhamma, clear comprehension of purpose, clear
comprehension of suitability, and clear comprehension of the meditation
subject. Clear comprehension is something greatly emphasized by the
Buddha in this body of teaching, so much so that he often conjoined it
into one word with mindfulness: sati-sampajanna. Sati-sampajanna is
translated as mindfulness and clear comprehension. Right mindfulness
according to this body of teaching is not just awareness of the object,
but awareness accompanied by clear comprehension.
The Buddha's teachings on mindfulness are often repeated in the Pali
suttas, but the two most comprehensive suttas on this subject are the
Satipatthana Sutta, and the Mahasatipatthana Sutta. Both of these are
easily locatable on the web if anyone wishes to read them. Also in this
category is the Kayagasati Sutta, Discourse on Mindfulness of the Body
"Without mindfulness of the body, I say O Bhikkhus, there is
no enlightenment." and the Anapanasati sutta, or Discourse on
Mindfulness of Breathing, which is one form of mindfulness of the body,
a summary of which is at the beginning of the Satiptthana and
Mahasatipatthana sutta. An important part of the basic teaching is also
the recognition and ability to work with the five jhana factors, the
five controlling faculties and the seven factors of enlightenment.
As to samma-samadhi, or right concentration, the Buddha defined this as
the cultivation of the four jhanas. He gives two standard descriptions
of these. One is by means of mental factors present, and the other is by
means of poetic metaphor.
On the subject of effort and energy, the Buddha defined right effort as
the "four great efforts: "The effort to diminish those
unwholesome states presently arisen; to keep from arising those
unwholesome states not arisen; to cause to arise those wholesome states
not yet arisen, and to strengthen and increase those wholesome states
now arisen." I personally love this one very much because of how
open and inclusive it is.
Maybe I should let the Buddha speak for himself. Here are a few quotes
that I garnered from some of the chapters in my book:
_________
4. "Breathing in long, he understands `I breath in long' or
breathing out long, he understands `I breathe out long...'
6. "Again, bhikkhus, when walking, a bhikkhu understands; `I am
walking'; when standing, he understands; `I am standing';
when sitting, he understands: `I am sitting'' when lying down,
he understands: `I am lying down'
32. "And how does a bhikkhu abide contemplating feelings as
feelings? Here when feeling a pleasant feeling, a bhikkhu understands;
"I feel a pleasant feeling' when feeling a painful feeling he
understands: `I feel a painful feeling.'
36. "Here, there being sensual desire in him, a bhikkhu understands:
`There is sensual desire in me'
42. "Here, there being the enlightenment factor of mindfulness in
him, he understand: "there is the enlightenment factor of
mindfulness in me
"
44. "And how does a bhikkhu abide contemplating mind objects as mind
objects in terms of the Four Noble Truths? Here a bhikkhu understands as
it actually is: `this is suffering'; he understands as it
actually is: `this is the origin of suffering; he understands as it
actually is: `this is the cessation of suffering
'; he
understands as it actually is: `this is the path that leads to the
end of suffering."
Satipathana Sutta Majjhima Nikaya 10
____________
"With insight let him see, each presently arisen state.
Let him know that and be sure of it, invincibly, unshakably." MN
131:3
____________
" Dependent on the eye and form, eye-consciousness arises; the
meeting of the three is contact; with contact as condition there is
feeling; with feeling as condition there is craving. Dependent on the
ear and sounds, ear- consciousness arises; the meeting of the three is
contact; with contact as condition there is feeling; with feeling as
condition there is craving. Dependent on the nose and odors, nose-
consciousness arises; the meeting of the three is contact; with
contact as condition there is feeling; with feeling as condition
there is craving. Dependent on the tongue and flavors,
tongue-consciousness arises; the meeting of the three is contact; with
contact as condition there is feeling; with feeling as condition there
is craving. Dependent on the body and tangibles, body-consciousness
arises; the meeting of the three is contact; with contact as condition
there is feeling; with feeling as condition there is craving. Dependent
on the mind and mind-objects, mind-consciousness arises; the meeting of
three is contact; with contact as condition there is feeling; with
feeling as condition there is craving. ...."
Chachaka Sutta: Six Sets of Six; MN 148:8
______________
"...Now this had been said by the Blessed One: `One who sees
dependent origination sees the Dhamma; one whose sees the Dhamma sees
dependent origination...'
Mahahatthipdopama Sutta: The Greater Discourse on the Elephant's
Footprint; MN 28:28;
______________
"Bhikkhus, what do you think? Is material form permanent or
impermanent?" - "Impermanent, venerable sir." - "Is
what is impermanent suffering or happiness?" - "Suffering,
venerable sir." - "Is what is impermanent, suffering, and
subject to change, fit to be regarded thus: "This is mine, this I
am, this is my self?" - "No, venerable sir."
"Bhikkhus, what do you think? Is feeling...Is perception...Are
mental formations.... Is consciousness permanent or
impermanent?" - "Impermanent, venerable sir." - "Is what
is impermanent suffering or happiness?" - "Suffering,
venerable sir." - "Is what is impermanent, suffering, and
subject to change, fit to be regarded thus: "This is mine, this I
am, this is my self?" - "No, venerable sir."
Alagadduupama Sutta: The Simile of the Snake; MN 22:26-29; pp.232-233
_____________
This one is very famous. It is called the fire sermon.
"Bhikkhus, all is burning. And what, bhikkhus, is the all that is
burning? The eye is burning, forms are burning, eye-consciousness is
burning, eye-contact is burning, and whatever feeling arises with
eye-contact as condition whether pleasant or painful or
neither-painful nor-pleasant that too is burning. Burning
with what? Burning with the fire of lust, with the fire of hatred, with
the fire of delusion; burning with birth, ageing, and death, with
sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair, I say.
"The ear is burning ... The nose is burning ... the tongue is
burning ... the body is burning ... The mind is burning ... and whatever
feeling arises with mind-contact as condition whether pleasant or
painful or neither-painful nor pleasant that too is burning.
Burning with what? Burning with the fire of lust, with the fire of
hatred, with the fire of delusion; burning with ageing and death, with
sorrow, lamentation. pain, displeasure, and despair, I say."
Samyutta Nikaya 35.28
____________
10."...Friend Saariputta, it is through seeing cessation, through
directly knowing cessation in the eye, in eye-consciousness, and in
things cognizable through eye-consciousness, that I regard them thus:
`This is not mine, this I am not this is not myself.' It is
through seeing cessation, through directly knowing cessation in the
ear...in the nose...in the tongue...in the body...in the mind, in
mind-consciousness, and in things cognizable through mind-consciousness,
that I regard them thus; `this is not mine, this I am not, this is
not my self.'"
Channovaada Sutta: Advice to Channa; MN 114: 10; p. 115
___________
7. "Suppose, Magandiya, there was a leper with sores and blisters on
his limbs, being devoured by worms, scratching the scabs off the
openings of his wounds with his nails, cauterizing his body over a
burning charcoal pit; the more he scratches the scabs and cauterizes his
body, the fouler, more evil smelling and more infected the openings of
his wounds would become, yet he would find a certain measure of
satisfaction and enjoyment in scratching the openings of his wounds. So
too, Magandiya, beings who are not free form lust for sensual pleasures,
who are devoured by craving for sensual pleasures, who burn with fever
for sensual pleasures, still indulge in sensual pleasures; the more such
beings indulge in sensual pleasures, the more their craving for sensual
pleasures increases and the more they are burned by their fever for
sensual pleasure; yet they find a certain measure of satisfaction and
enjoyment in dependence on the five cords of sensual pleasure...
21. "...And although this body, Magandiya, is a disease, a tumor, a
dart, a calamity, and an affliction referring to this body you say:
"This is that health, Master Gotama, this is that Nibbana.'
Magandiya, you do not have that noble vision by means of which you might
know health and see Nibbana."
Magandiya Sutta MN 75
____________
"And what bhikkhus, is the Dhamma for abandoning all through direct
knowledge and full understanding? The eye is to be abandoned through
direct knowledge and full understanding, forms are to be so abandoned,
eye-consciousness is to be so abandoned, eye-contact is to be so
abandoned, and whatever feeling arises with eye-contact as a
condition-whether pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant
that too is to be abandoned through direct knowledge and full
understanding.
"The ear is to be abandoned through direct knowledge and full
understanding.... The mind is to be abandoned through direct knowledge
and full understanding; mental phenomena are to be so abandoned;
mind-consciousness is to so abandoned; mind-contact is to be so
abandoned, and whatever feeling arises with mind-contact as condition
whether pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant that
too is to be abandoned through direct knowledge and full
understanding."
Samyutta Nikaya 35.25
_____________
"Whatever exists therein of material form, feeling, perception,
mental formations, and consciousness, he sees those states as
impermanent, as suffering, as a disease, as a tumor, as a barb, as a
calamity, a an affliction, as alien, as disintegrating, as void, and as
not self. He turns his mind away from those states, and directs it
toward the deathless element thus: `This is the peaceful, this is
sublime, that is, the stilling of all formations, the relinquishing
of all attachments, the destruction of craving, dispassion, cessation,
Nibbana..."
Mahamalunkyaputta Sutta: The Greater Discourse to Malunkya; MN 64:9
_________________
I will close this with something my teacher Taungpulu Sayadaw used to
say:
Two things must be fully penetrated: mentality and materiality.
Two things must be fully developed: mindfulness and concentration.
Two things must be fully abandoned: ignorance and craving.
