Talking of forces leads us to explain the composition of
this one-fathom long body. The Buddha-Dhamma divides, in
the first place, the so-called being into two parts,
namely the part called matter and the part called mind.
Matter (rupa) is brought together by the four
fundamental elements: the element of extension (patavi),
the element of cohesion (apo) the elements of heat (tejo)
and the element of motion (vayo). These four primary
elements combine with the four derivatives: colour (vanna),
odour (gandha), taste (rasa) and nutritive essence (oja).
Matter, therefore, is a combination of forces and
qualities in a state of flux. Mind or consciousness (nama)
is a compound complex of fleeting mental states, ever
arising and passing away from moment to moment. To our
under-developed mental vision this psycho-physical
combination appears as a solid, naming it by various
conventional terms such as boy or girl, man or woman,
etc.
Dr. Dhalke gives us a convincing description of this
concatenation of forces. He writes: “The so-called being
is like a flash of lightning that is resolved into a
succession of sparks that follow upon one another with
such rapidity that the human retina cannot perceive them
separately nor can the uninstructed conceive of such
succession of separate sparks.”
Based on this division of the ‘being’ into mind and
matter, in to Buddha classified this psycho-physical
combination called an individual into five aggregates (khandas),
namely: 1. the aggregate of corporeality. 2. the
aggregate of feelings. 3. The aggregate of perceptions.
4. the aggregate of mental formations. 5. the aggregate
of consciousness. The Buddha in the course of his
investigations into these five aggregates detected the
“world” or Dukkha. Here are briefly the results of the
Buddha’s investigations:
1. What is called an “I”, an “individual”, or a “being”
is only a name, a designation given to the collective
whole of these five groups. 2. Each one of the groups is
transient. 3. Each one of the groups is in a state of
flux, of arising and passing away from moment to moment.
4. A unit of consciousness perishes transmitting at the
same time its potential to its successor in a series of
cause and effect. 5. There is nothing in each of these
groups as a substance. 6. Apart from these five groups
there is nothing stable, or abiding, or permanent to be
called an I, or a Self, or a Soul.
The above is the report of the Buddha on this one-fathom
body which appears to us as a solid whole because of the
lightning-like rapidity of the movement of the groups
one following the other in quick succession. It should,
therefore, be noted that there is only movement or
events. This is true of all phenomena in the known
universe. There is no “prime-mover unmoved” behind this
movement. Mere actions roll on, there is neither a doer
nor a receiver. Except for the delusion of an I or a
Self (sakkayaditthi), there is no other “being” or “I”,
standing behind these five groups of existence, who
experiences Dukkha. This five-fold group of aggregates
when charges with intensified Craving (upadana) comes to
be called, the five-fold group of Clinging or Grasping.
What we desire to explain now in so many words takes
place in the minutest fraction of a moment. The
so-called ‘I’ clings convulsively to life or to this
five-fold group of clinging at the moment of death. His
last thought moment is heavily charged with the Kamma of
his choice. He dies leaving behind his present five-fold
group of clinging.
At the moment his last consciousness perishes there
arises immediately the consciousness called Relinking-consciousness
which, with no interval in between, descends on matter
(prepared by new parents) in a maternal womb, and a
mind-form results or a new five- fold group of Clinging
comes into being. Thus the Dukkha of the past re-appears
in the Dukkha of the present. This is the Dukkha as the
conditioned state (samkhara-dukkha). This is the Dukkha
which the Buddha discovered on that great morn, great
for him and great for many millions of mortals.
Selfish craving
Selfish Craving in its intensified form of Clinging (upadana)
is the origin of this five-fold group of Clinging. The
extinction of this Craving, its forsaking, arrests a
fresh arising of this five-fold Group of Clinging - the
end of Dukkha. The Buddha’s Ancient Path which he
discovered is the sole way to arrest the fresh arising
of this Khanda combination.
The Buddha describes the discovery of the Ancient Path
by a scintillating simile which we propose to quote from
Samyutta Nikaya ii, 105. “Just as if brethren, a man
faring through the forest, through the great wood,
should see an ancient path traversed by men of ancient
days. And he were to go along it, and going along it he
should see an ancient city, an ancient prince’s domain,
wherein dwelt men of former days, having gardens,
groves, pools, and stoutly walled around, a goodly
spot.... Even so have I, brethren, seen an ancient path,
an ancient road traversed by the rightly enlightened
ones of former times.” And what is the Ancient Path? It
is the Noble Eightfold Path in its tripartite division
of Morality (sila), Concentration (samadhi), and Wisdom
(panna). It is the Ancient Path which appears in the
Dhammapada at verse 183, the Pali gatha, which we as
children recited in gay abandon, utterly ignorant of its
precious potential pregnant with the power of
Deliverance.
Morality (sila) is for the purpose of gaining
Concentration, or one-pointedness of mind (samadhi),
Concentration supported by Morality is for the purpose
of gaining Wisdom (panna) to see: “In this very
one-fathom-long body, along with its perceptions and
thoughts is the world, the origin of the world, the
cessation of the world, and Path leading to the
cessation of the world.”
The meaning of life is to understand Self as it really
is. Once Self or the ‘I’ is understood as the Delusion
par excellence, then the five-fold group of Clinging is
utterly destroyed and Nibbana is attained in this life
itself:
“Not far from here you need to look,
Highest existence what can it avail?
Here in the present aggregates,
In your own body overcome the world”
අමාවක
පුර අටවක
පසෙලාස්වක
අව
අටවක