Dhammapada: the first sutras of the Buddha.

The Four Noble Truths, with the four truths that transcend all the effects of external conditions, discuss the nature of human life and the ability to overcome human suffering, have become motives and beliefs. of mankind, before all ups and downs of life still believe in a bright future of mankind in general and man in particular.

Introductions

Buddhism was born more than 25 centuries, but the teachings of the Buddha still contain the breath of the age and do not seem to be dependent on the change of space and time.

One of the basic tenets of Buddhism is important Eightfold Path (path eight branches - the middle way), contained in the texts Zhuan Falun - the first sermon of the Buddha. The dharma becomes the center of attention, in which the meaning of tolerance, tolerance, or anta, is shared by Lao Tzu and Confucius in the concept of " or "neutralized," and as far away as Greece, this idea was shared by Aristote through the concept of "harmony". This seems to be a current issue, helping us to awaken the temptations of contemporary life, seeking a peaceful and peaceful life.

The Four Noble Truths and the Four Noble Truths are the first teachings of the Buddha, immediately after the enlightenment of the Supreme Bodhi, proving a unexamined wisdom that has been awakened after a long time. Dreams drift in death.

Therefore, learning the doctrine of the Middle Way and the Four Noble Truths, together with the birth of the Dharma, the Dharma converts not only the theoretical but also the practical practice of each Buddha, Determine the path and purpose for clarity before finding the future of your own nature.

Context of thought activities leading to the birth of the sutras

Researchers consider the situation of academic activity at the time of the Buddha, often divided into two distinct movements: mainstream and non-mainstream. The mainstream of the Veda and Upanishad scriptures; The different or opposite movements of the Vedas and Upanishads are considered to be anti-or anti-mainstream movements.

Another, more detailed classification divides the thought movement into four main categories: orthodox orthodoxy, folk movement, the Vedas and Upanishads, which are the main ideas but have developed more like Du Duan, Essay, Principles ... and finally the unorthodox movement.

In addition, there are some researchers, based on the Buddhist sutras, namely, the Sarcopangas , which refer to the six sects that are commonly referred to in the sutras as the "external sutras."

1. Purana Kassapa: It is said that the practice of good and evil is due to custom, not a corresponding kamma, so do not believe anything or doubt all.

2. Makkholi Gosala: naturally, all acts of good and evil, even liberation, follow a natural law, human can not decide or what is the effort.

3. Ajita Kesakambali: A Persistence on Zen. Human beings formed, the dead and then all, so enjoy the pleasures, moral rejection.

4. Pukudha Kaccayana (Pukudha Kaccayana): The mind of thought, that the immortal soul, the human death is only the dissipation of the elements of human beings, but the That factor is never destroyed.

Sãnyaya bellatthyputta: According to inspirationalism, if you feel that way, say it to the phenomenal world, not sure whether it is true or not. or wrong.

6. Ni-moment-momentum (Nigandha netaptta): advocated the idea, take it as the basis for all the explanations. As for the practice, the extreme asceticism and strict observance of the characteristics.

In general, the academic life of the Buddha was born, Indian philosophical thought has developed strongly, diversified on the topic, rich in the school, but not unified in the Veda or Upanishad formerly. Schools born during this period may look like spring blooms, each of which has different interpretations, sometimes opposing each other in explaining the nature of the world as well as the way This is done to bring about the ultimate liberation. This tremendous development not only created a precondition for Buddhism in gathering the essence of other schools, but also served as a foundation for Buddhism to supplement, rectify and correct the weaknesses of other schools. , formed a new religion - Buddhism, which has inherited traditions and new ones, making a fundamental turning point in the common flow of Indian philosophy.

Content: Zhuan Falun

a) Critique the misconceptions of the schools

At the beginning of the sutta, the Buddha said: "O bhikkhus, there are two extremes (anta) that the monk (pabbajitena) must avoid ..."

The term anta is the concept of a supreme, excess or extreme attitude; And the concept of the renunciation (pabbajitena) is the only one who renounces the secular path, cuts off the body and seeks the path of liberation.

As soon as he began to preach to the five brothers Kieu Tran Nhu in particular and those who sought the path of liberation in general, the Buddha immediately reminded the monks that the monks should give up the two paths of extremism or excess. The In other words, the Buddha criticizes these two paths as the wrong path, not leading to ultimate deliverance. The two roads are:

1. The easiness in sensual pleasures - the vulgar, vulgar, profane, unworthy of the saint, and in vain.

2. The passion attached to asceticism - suffering, inadequate virtue of the saint, and in vain.

The first is the path of sensual pleasures or excess pleasure and the second is the path of immersion in ascetic suffering. These are the two paths the Buddha warned would not bring forth the liberated.

It should also be said that at the time of Shakyamuni Buddha, and even before the birth of Shakyamuni Buddha, India had existed many different schools or teachings to seek the path of liberation. But in the end, attitudes toward life are usually centered around two main paths: one is a desire for pleasure and the other is to deny every desire.

One of the doctrines of enjoyment of all worldly pleasures is the Lokayata - Pali and Sanskrit - allusions to materialism or materialism founded by Carvakas. From the point of view of this doctrine, man is dead, leaving all energies in his life, and only the present life is real, so the followers of this doctrine say, " Eat , drink and enjoy every pleasure, because death comes to all , "and that: "Morality is an illusion, only pleasure is reality, death is the last level of life, religion is a madness, mental illness, there is suspicion of all that is good. , noble, clean and compassionate, their theory of satisfying lust, selfishness and coarseness, confirming the will of the law. natural product of man ".

In the meantime, some schools emphasize the strict ascetic life. They argue that only asceticism can bring man to liberation. This theory is accepted by many practitioners of various schools. The Buddha himself and his five brothers Tran Kieu Tran had practiced like that for six years without achieving the ultimate result.

Criticism of these two principles, the Buddha said that both are useless, useless, not worthy of his conduct.

b) The main teachings given by the Buddha in his first discourse.
The doctrine of the Middle Way or the Path of the Eightfold Path

Shortly after criticizing the two guidelines of excessive pleasure and excessive austerity, the Buddha introduced the third path, the Middle Way (Majjhima Patipada). "To renounce these two extremes, the Tathāgata realizes the" Middle Way "(Majjhima Patipada), which is the way to bring vision (cakkhu) and knowledge (nana) and bring tranquility (vupasamaya) sublime (abhinnaya), enlightenment (sambhodhaya), and nirvana "

The path is not the path between the two extremes but the path that transcends the two extremes. Dictionary of Buddhist thought: "Central means non-dual, is the most treatable, is non-dual war, neutral direction is not biased on one side," that means middle path is child the line of dualistic treatment as usual; yes no; right left…

In the later stages of Buddhism, the understanding of the Middle Way has many different opinions, such as the General for the Middle Way, the Middle Way, the Middle Way In the Zhuan Falun , the Buddha affirmed that the Middle Way is the Eightfold Path or the Eightfold Path.

In the saying:

"O bhikkhus, the path of the Path that the Tathagata has enlightened, the way to bring vision, knowledge and lead to calm, wisdom, enlightenment and Nirvana?

It is the right path (samma ditthi), samma samkappa, samma vaca, samma kammanta, samma ajiva, samma-lama , Mindfulness (samma sati), and right concentration (samma samadhi). O bhikkhus, that is "Middle Way" that Tathagata realized.

The first element of the Noble Eightfold Path is Right Understanding, in order to dispel all the doubts of fellow initiates in the Buddha's teachings, and at the same time wish to raise a critical point in The teachings of the Buddha are: to see the object in the right way, ie see the object as it can lead to the next. There is no right view, that is, looking at objects with subjective eyes, bias or emotion can lead to mistakes in judgment. In order to have right or true perception, it is necessary to remove the wrong view, delusion, tradition, customs, habits, power, status of the speaker ... and see them as they are. That is the first element and also the prerequisite in the Buddhist doctrine of the Middle Way.

After having the right understanding, as the real object, the second branch is Right Thought, that is, right meditation. Proper meditation in Buddhism requires objectivity to think objectively, meaning that the subject of thought must eliminate attachment, selfishness and evil. To do this, the subject needs to nourish the mettà, the peaceful attitude towards the mind.

The third branch of the doctrine of the Middle Way is Right Speech. True speech comes from true thought, as the reality of the object is thought and of course, the true saying is for the purpose not only of the real object but also the object of the object. more perfect, not just say.

Right Speech is Right Action - Righteous Business or Righteous Action and Right Livelihood - Righteous Life. The three main factors: Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood are the modes of expressing true thinking in order to perfect morality and develop a healthy lifestyle.

The sixth branch is Right Effort - the effort to practice in righteousness in order to eradicate bad seeds and develop kusala. Liberation and enlightenment are not one-sidedly accomplished; therefore, there is knowing, thinking, practicing, but lacking in effort, the practice will soon be lost. In the process of effort, restlessness, the seventh element - mindfulness - always awakens in every act, gesture, word of employment becomes the essential partner. Effortless but awakening can lead to a reversal of the original intention. From constant effort in awareness to concentration - that is to remain in a single object, especially the object that is their own consciousness will lead to a result - our mind is increasingly opaque. the sea, the elements impure, defilements, Ignorance increasingly effort is eliminated, instead, the seeds of good, intellectual, pure germ are increasingly. When the mind, in the awareness of Mindfulness and Concentration, with the constant effort of Right Effort, with the constant practice of Right Speech, Right Action and Right Effort, the invisible General leads to a final The natural perception will be correct, thinking on a clear. Thus, the Eighth Noble Eightfold Path, as both the cause and effect, reciprocate one another for a goal of liberation and enlightenment. Righteousness and righteousness are invisible together, leading to a result, the natural perception will be correct, the thinking is clear. Thus, the Eighth Noble Eightfold Path, as both the cause and effect, reciprocate one another for a goal of liberation and enlightenment. Righteousness and righteousness are invisible together, leading to a result, the natural perception will be correct, the thinking is clear. Thus, the Eighth Noble Eightfold Path, as both the cause and effect, reciprocate one another for a goal of liberation and enlightenment.

In short, the teachings of the Middle Way - the Noble Eightfold Path, spoken by the Buddha in the Zhuan Falun Sutta , serve as a basis for criticizing the two extremes that govern contemporary Indian society, as well as establishing one of the fundamental principles The most influential of Buddhism, religion has influenced not only India but now spread to the world.
Four Noble Truths

At the beginning of the sutta by advising the departed from extreme extremes, establishing the Middle Way, the Buddha speaks of the Four Noble Truths as the most basic discourse in the whole teaching of the Buddha and also is the only goal of Buddhism when it exists in the world.

Four Noble Truths (Four Truths) include: Suffering, Noble Truth, Truth and Truth. Sanskrit Sacca, is the truth, what is real. The equivalent of Sanskrit is Satya, an event no longer debated. The Pali term for these truths is Ariya Saccani, because these are the truths that the Buddha found to be the greatest ariya, pure and pure. and completely cleared all defilements.

(1) "This is the Noble Truth"