Hello friends,
It's been too long, as I've faded away from nearly all relationships and hardly know who I am any more. And yet... life continues....
During which, in the normal course of my reading through the Nikayas, I happened to have come across the Rahagata Sutta, which is in
Samyutta Book IV, Part 36, the 11th Sutta. I don't think that Jeffrey has translated it yet, and the only two versions on
Access to Insight are by Nyanaponika Thera and Thanissaro Bhikkhu. I've read a lot of Than Geoff's translations and thought I'd use Nyanaponika's version for the snippet included below. He translates "jhana" as "meditative absorption," which sounds familiar in this particular sangha....
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn36/sn36.011.nypo.htmlIn this stretch, the Buddha is saying that all feeling is suffering, since feeling is impermanent and thus cannot provide lasting pleasure or happiness. His solution?
"I have further taught, monk, the gradual cessation of conditioned phenomena. In him who has attained the first meditative absorption,[2] speech has ceased. Having attained the second absorption, thought-conception and discursive thinking has ceased. Having attained the third absorption, joy has ceased. Having attained the fourth absorption, inhalation and exhalation have ceased. Having attained the sphere of the infinity of space, perception of form[3] has ceased. Having attained the sphere of the infinity of consciousness, the perception of the sphere of the infinity of space has ceased. Having attained the sphere of no-thingness, the perception of the sphere of infinity of consciousness has ceased. Having attained the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, the perception of the sphere of no-thingness has ceased. Having attained the cessation of perception and feeling, perception and feeling have ceased. In a taint-free monk greed has ceased, hatred has ceased, delusion has ceased.
"I have further taught, monk the gradual stilling of conditioned phenomena.[4] In him who has attained the first meditative absorption, speech has been stilled. Having attained the second absorption, thought-conception and discursive thinking have been stilled... (To be continued as above, up to
Having attained the cessation of perception and feeling, perception and feeling have been stilled. In a taint-free monk greed has been stilled, hatred has been stilled, delusion has been stilled.
"There are, monk, these six quietenings. In him who has attained the first absorption, speech is quietened. Having attained the second absorption, thought-conception and discursive thinking are quietened. Having attained the third absorption, rapture is quietened. Having attained the fourth absorption, inhalation and exhalation is quietened.[5] Having attained the cessation of perception and feeling, perception and feeling are quietened. In a taint-free monk greed is quietened, hatred is quietened, delusion is quietened."
My take: the five aggregates of clinging -- form, feeling, perception, thought and consciousness -- are emblematic of our perpetual state of suffering. The Buddha teaches here that meditation leading to the four
rupa and the four
arupa jhanas have the effect of quieting, gradually stilling and finally ceasing each of the aggregates, until finally the "taints" or "fetters" are dealt with once and for all -- such that greed (lust), hatred (anger) and delusion fade away.
I've been connecting with suffering for quite a while now. All my rebelliousness, avoidance and general nastiness has been dominant. I'm getting that the contemplative life is the only choice if I can't stand another moment of suffering, in myself or those around me.
So, I'll see you in deep meditation, dear friends.....
