“But perhaps there is little one can know without exposure to Dhamma?”
- Yes. That is the key. Unless a Buddha or a disciple of the Buddha explains these concepts, no one can figure out the Buddha Dhamma, i.e., the ultimate laws of nature.
- These “ultimate laws of nature” (embedded in Four Noble Truths/Paticca Samuppada/Tilakkhana) can be discovered only by a Buddha. That is why the birth of a Buddha is so rare; it is not easy to attain the Buddhahood. Sometimes 30 maha kappas (i.e., trillions of years) go by without a Buddha appearing in the world.
- That is why we should not miss this opportunity. It is a “once in a trillion years” opportunity.