Post # 62 – SAMSARA, the CYCLE OF BIRTH  AND  DEATH, IN THERAVADA BUDDHISM – Part 3

It would be good if you could visit the 1st Post to know about this Blog. 

You need to read Post # 60 and Post # 61, before reading this. We are now in the position to discuss the escape from the unsatisfactory samsaric cycle. That is to engage in activities that lead to the complete cessation of suffering, the realization of Nibbana.

The conventional death is just one phase of a continuous cycle of existence, linking our present life and the next, and is a direct result of our accumulated kamma. The past accumulated kamma acts in a subtle way to condition the new life. A person who has acquired wholesome kamma may well be born into happy circumstances, enjoying good health, wealth and family connections. Although the inherited genes from parents play an important part in determining physical and some mental characteristics, kamma may be considered as the driving force. It may well be argued that rebirth to particular parents was the appropriate result of past kamma.

On the other hand, 'Beings' born into higher planes than human are said to enjoy blissful existence and thoughts of release from the cycle of re-birth are furthest from their minds. The human plane provides a more balanced environment, where 'Beings' experience both happiness as well as unhappiness, and therefore are able to, if they wish, enter the path to liberation. The attainment is not overnight, but has to be obtained step by step in an incremental process.

Bhikku Bodhi the scholar monk from US, in a Dhamma talk stated that: “The cause for unhappiness, discontent and suffering is the tension between desire and the lack of what is desired. The two possible approaches to overcome this tension are to obtain what is desired or eliminate desire. Usually man goes for the first option by believing that happiness can be found by satisfying desire. Getting things from outside is vulnerable for failure. When they are not permanent, the loss is painful. The second option of eliminating desire is independent of external objects and therefore not vulnerable for failure. It is a happiness and inner satisfaction that can never be destroyed. Full freedom from suffering is elimination of craving and ending re-becoming.  It is the state of Nibbana, the ultimate goal of a Buddhist”.

It was seen from the previous posts on Punnya Kamma and Kusala Kamma that acquisition of these virtues were necessary for the well-being in our present life and future lives. Understanding that escape from Samsara advocated in Buddha-Dhamma is the main objective of dhamma practice, one knows that this escape can be difficult to realize in this life, although not impossible. Therefore it is essential to have an insurance to ensure ourselves with a birth in a happy realm in the next birth endowed with necessary means (paramithas) to continue the practice for reaching liberation at the earliest. This particular human life is a rare opportunity we have to make some progress in the path. The clear steps described have to be learned in detail and the practical way to engage in them in a household life has to be worked out.

Upon reaching enlightenment the Buddha discovered the four Noble Truths, consisting of Dhukka or the unsatisfactory nature of existence, the cause, the liberation or Nibbana, and the path of practice to liberation. If one were to single out one truth out of above for the realization of liberation, it is the fourth. Not that it is more important than the others, but because one can engage in a practice to experience the truth when compared to the other three which are more focused on intellectual understanding of the truths. It is a path to spiritual development.  

 When a Buddha arises in this world he discovers this path which has up to then been shrouded in spiritual darkness. He then commits himself to teach this to the people to help them escape from entrapment in the samsara. In his teaching in the Pattica Samupadda (Dependent Origination) Buddha explains the process of re-becoming, pinpointing to the cause, as the clinging rooted in ignorance. By developing right view and other spiritual qualities in the ‘Path’, ignorance (and clinging) is eliminated giving rise to liberating wisdom.

In an article written by Dr. Ari Ubeysekara in 2018 on - Cycle of Birth and Death (samsara) in Theravada Buddhism, this author says that- “According to Buddhist scriptures, it is believed that through meditation, the Buddha gained firsthand knowledge of rebirth and the cycle of birth and death,  before declaring it to the world. During the process of attaining full enlightenment through deep meditation on that night, the Buddha is said to have developed three special types of supreme knowledge, two of which revealed the knowledge of rebirth. During the first watch of the night, the Buddha developed the supreme knowledge (pubbe-nivasanussati nana) through which it was possible to recollect the past lives that the Buddha himself had gone through during the cycle of birth and death. During the second watch of the night, the Buddha developed the divine eye (cutupapatha nana), which revealed how from an inconceivable beginning, other beings were reborn into happy or unhappy existences dependent on their previous skillful and unskillful actions, based on the natural law of cause and effect (kamma)”.

During one’s life there is a recurring succession of streams of consciousness. Each incidence of consciousness goes through three stages. It originates (uppada), persists (tithi), and ceases (bhanga), all in a minute duration of time only to be followed by the origin of another incidence of consciousness. The first consciousness transmits its kammic form and energy over to the next. The subsequent consciousness is completely new and not the same as its predecessor. However, it is not completely independent of the predecessor either, as the new consciousness is conditioned by the kammic form and energy of the previous one.

The recurring stream of consciousness is said to continue on between the end of one life process (death of one life as we know it) and the beginning of another life process (birth of one life as we know it). The newly born 'Being' in the next life is described as being neither the same person nor a different person. This process has sometimes been equated to what happens when one candle is lit from another candle where nothing substantial passes from the first candle to the second, but still the flame of the first candle is the cause of the flame in the second candle.

According to Buddhist teaching, one who cultivates the Noble Eight-fold Path with diligence, will sooner or later pass through four progressive stages of spiritual development, finally attaining full enlightenment or Nibbana. The four progressive stages of spiritual development are Stream Enterer (sotapanna); Once Returner (sakadagami); Non-Returner (anagami); Arahat (Noble Being). The way to attain these stages of development was described in Posts #s 16 to 20.

By following virtuous qualities of associating with noble friends; learning the Dhamma;  being always mindful and acting wisely with clear comprehension in accordance with Dhamma; and following  the Noble Eightfold Path and  also developing unwavering trust (Sradda) in the Buddha, Dhamma, the Sanga (the noble community) and the Seela - physical and verbal restraint from doing unwholesome deeds,  one enters Sothapatthi Margaya - stream entry, the  path. This path and the attainment of its fruition, the Sothapatthi - (stream enterer) state, is the first stage in realizing Nibbana.  Upon entering the path one develops Saddha (trust), Viriya (ardent effort), Sathi (mindfulness and clear comprehension), Samadhi (concentrated attention) and Panna (wisdom for understanding reality) as faculties and strengths progressively to higher levels. These progressive attainments of the different stages in the realization Nibbana, helps to eliminate various fetters or shackles (sanyojanas) that chain you down to the Samsaric process. Further, once you are established in the Sothapatthi Margaya, you will reach an important intermediate state before you attain its fruition. That is either becoming a Sadda-nu-sari (one driven by trust) or Dhamma-nu-sari (one driven by understanding of the Dhamma).  In the former, unwavering trust in the Noble Triple Gem is the driver which takes you forwards towards the Sothapatthi state. In the case of the latter, the driver is the inspiration gained from the understanding of the Dhamma. This inspiration carries you forward. Any one of these intermediate states is quite achievable in this life and can be the first target to aim at.

From the Sothapatthi state and continuing on with the above practice to a higher degree of qualitative progress, one reaches the Sakadagami (once returner) state, the Anagami (no returner) state and thereafter the final state of Arahanthood (an enlightened one), ending the Samsaric journey and attaining Nibbana.

I hope with these descriptions I have been able to create in your minds the inspiration to engage in the Dhamma Practice to escape from this dangerous Samsaric Cycle. In the following  Posts I will try to give some more details on Nibbana for your study.

May you get the necessary inspiration!.....