RIGHT VIEW
Understanding the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering
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What is the origin of
suffering? It is craving, which brings renewal of being, is accompanied
by delight and lust, and delights in this and that: that is, craving for
sensual pleasures, craving for being, and craving for non-being. (MN 9)
When one does not know and see formations as they actually are, then one
is attached to formations. When one is attached, one becomes
infatuated, and one’s craving increases. One’s bodily and mental
troubles increase, and one experiences bodily and mental suffering. (MN
149)
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The aggregate
of formations comprises all the volitional and emotional factors that
make up our mental states, that guide our actions of body, speech, and
mind, and that shape our deeper character and personality traits. These
provide the basis for suffering because we so easily become attached to
and infatuated with them. Formations are not a problem in themselves,
but craving for them is the very cause of our suffering.
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Practice being
aware of your mental states without being attached to them. Observe them
with equanimity as they pass through your mind, rather than sorting
them into what you welcome and what you resent. Do the same with your
intentions and deepest underlying dispositions. Notice how easily any of
these can become “sticky” and induce you to cling to it. This is how
suffering arises. It is important to see and know this.
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Tomorrow: Cultivating Compassion
One week from today: Understanding the Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering
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