Akvan wrote: “The Buddha said that the Dhamma is something completely unknown to anyone at that time. But people at that time had seen the suffering in the re-birth process (i.e. the hell worlds, animal realms etc.). So the dukkha sachcha cannot simply be the suffering in the re-birth process but something a bit more subtle that no one could fathom.”
This is a very dangerous idea, but it is a very common idea. This is why we have been trapped in this rebirth process for so long.
Here are some key points to think about:
1. The most fundamental concept in Buddha Dhamma is “bhava” + “uddha” or “stopping future bhava (existences) from arising”. So, yes, that is what the Buddha taught: How to stop the rebirth process and to end ANY and ALL suffering.
– The word “Buddha” itself comes from “bhava” + “uddha”, meaning a Buddha is the one who finds the way to stop bhava (and jati) from arising and to attain Nibbana (end of suffering).
2. Please carefully read the first sutta of the Buddha: Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta. He said, “ayam antima jati, nattidani punabbhavo” or “this is my last birth, no more rebirths for me”.
3. He told bhikkhus, “I teach you how to END the suffering”. Suffering cannot be completely stopped from arising as long as one is in the rebirth process.
4. The First Noble Truth is not just that “there is unbearable suffering in the apayas”. Of course, many ancient yogis knew that, and saw that for themselves. But they could not figure out HOW to stop those births in the apayas. Yogis like Alara Kalama thought cultivating jhanas and getting a birth in a brahma realm will keep one away from the apayas. They thought that was the “end of suffering”.
5. If one understand the First Noble Truth, then one WILL know that there is suffering in all 31 realms. Any bhava (and jati) ends up in suffering. Even in deva and brahma realms, one may live without much suffering for most of those lives, but it INEVITABLY comes back in spades at the end. When a deva is getting close to death, the beautiful body starts decaying, and it becomes clear that the “end is near”. That is the real suffering, because that deva would not know whether the next birth in the apayas.
6. This becomes clear when one carefully looks at Paticca Samuppada: It starts with “avijja paccaya sankhara” and ends with, “jati paccaya jara, marana, ..”. As long as one generates sankhara (whether it is apunnabhisankhara, punnabhisankhara, or anenjabhi sankhara), one WILL end up with suffering.
– Apunnabhisankhara lead to rebirth in the apayas.
– Punnabhisankhara lead to rebirth in the human, deva, and rupavacara brahma realms.
– Anenjhabhi sankhara lead to rebirths in the arupavacara brahma realms.
– “Avijja paccaya sankhara” include all three kinds of sankhara.
– Suffering CANNOT be ENDED without SEEING the futility of staying in the rebirth process.
– In other words, NO BIRTH in the 31 realms can be maintained to one’s satisfaction. ANY birth will end up in suffering, at least the end (death), where the suffering is most felt. That is called anicca nature.
(P.S. By the way, this is why the Buddha said: “sabbe sankhara anicca” and “sabbe sankhara dukkha“).
7. When one understands the First Noble Truth, one would have understood OTHER THREE Noble Truths too: The causes of suffering (any kind of sankhara), end of suffering is the same as stopping the causes for suffering, and the way to achieve that.
– This is why it is said that the First Noble Truth is not just about KNOWING that there is suffering. One must understand HOW that suffering arises due to apunnabhisankhara, punnabhisankhara, and anenjabhisankhara.
– Then one would realize the anicca nature: that as long as one is in the rebirth process, one will NEVER be able to PERMANENTLY remove future suffering.
I hope Johnny can now see the problem with his statement: ““The Buddha said that the Dhamma is something completely unknown to anyone at that time. But people at that time had seen the suffering in the re-birth process…”.
– Just KNOWING that suffering exists in the rebirth process is not enough. One needs to understand Paticca Samuppada and realizes HOW that suffering ARISES due to avijja and tanha (craving for worldly things).
– P.S. All our actions, speech, and thoughts are generated via sankhara, and thus generate kammic energy (and strongest of those lead to future rebirths); this is what was discussed in the post in question: “Viññāna and Sankhāra – Connection to Paticca Samuppāda“.
– And one cannot get rid of tanha until one realizes the unfruitful nature of ALL realms, the anicca nature. One CANNOT maintain any existence in ANY realm. All existences (bhava) eventually lead to suffering.