The first teaching of Buddhism is four interrelated declarations known as the Four Noble Truths. The first two “Noble Truths” are that suffering is pervasive and caused by craving. The third basic truth of Buddhism is that there is a way to end suffering; the fourth that the end of suffering is caused by practising the 8-fold path. The first two truths often evoke an aversive, critical reflex because the pairing is easily seen as terminally pessimistic; that there is no way out of human misery. The third and fourth of the Four Noble Truths are very positive, somewhat dispelling this reaction. But how can both pairings be “true”? From the Buddhist perspective the suffering of life is not invariably tethered to the pain of life. This is what it means that “duhkka” is both pervasive and extinguishable.
Buddhism teaches that cessation of suffering is possible and demonstrable through meditation. If suffering is caused by desire, then the elimination of desire is the logical way to eliminate suffering. This is what Buddhist monasticism is largely about. But the 4th Noble Truth does not make that simple point. Instead it is prescriptive to the degree of suggesting strongly a methodological path known as the middle way. The path is navigated in 'darkness', that is, without certainty; but even so meditators take the “backward step” and “turn a light inward” on what is actually so.
The eight-fold path is: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration. The Sanskrit 'samyak' is what is translated as “right” but carries the sense of exactitude and accuracy more than moral rectitude. These eight considerations elaborate another basic Buddhist notion; that a stable life consists of the three legs of ethical conduct/behaviour, meditation and knowledge/wisdom. The first two cover our wisdom, the next three comprise our conduct and the final three define our meditation.
Ethics and wisdom rest on meditation practice. The meditation itself takes its form from an immersion in the reality of “just this”. The phrase 'just this' refers to what is left when all opinions, judgements, feelings and sensations are brought to cessation or at least somewhat reduced. Duhkka in the sense of pain is inevitable but duhkka in the sense of suffering is somewhat optional because it depends on us setting up what we like against what we do not like. Craving and aversion are an easily understood psychological linkage as well as being a nuanced, fundamental measure for each of the eight.
Right Livelihood, to offer an example of practical application, would be one that is ethical, intentional and without harmful effects. But many people are unhappy doing what they do to earn their living. That unhappiness is harmful; it leads to unwholesome states of mind fueled by antipathy, self indulgence or prurience which ever more deeply ingrain attitudes and views that cause even more suffering. Simply being aware of being unhappy about livelihood and wishing it were otherwise is not enough, usually. Besides knowledge, conduct and all intangible factors must be mindfully considered. This is the backward step of Zen meditation which will result in aligning our livelihood with our unobstructed, true nature.
Wayne Codling is a former Zen monastic and a lineage holder in the Soto Zen tradition as taught by the Japanese Zen master, Shunryu Suzuki-roshi (Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind). He teaches Zen style meditation in various venues around Victoria, including regular, drop-in, no charge sessions each Sunday at the Vic West Community Centre and regular classes with young offenders at a correction centre. Wayne’s talks and some writings can be found on his blog (http://sotozenvictoria.wordpress.com), and practice questions are responded to at: http://zendog.ca.
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