Architecture/Meta-Structure of the Dhamma
Maybe we should have a “main”/root wiki page from which the rest of the wiki pages can branch?
This is an attempt at starting something like that. Hopefully we can agree enough on the foundations.
There are quite a few different ways we can lay out the structure, let me know if you have any suggestions.
Summary
- Four Realities of Noble Beings
- The Four Ennobling Tasks
- relation to Specific Conditionality
- as a medical diagnostic scheme
- The Four Noble Truths in more detail
The Four Noble Truths
these are truths/realities for the Noble Beings (ariyas):
- Dukkha Sacca - the reality of suffering
- Samudaya Sacca - the reality of the origin (of suffering)
- Nirodha Sacca - the reality of the cessation (of suffering)
- Magga Sacca - the reality of the path (leading to the cessation of suffering)
Friends, just as the footprint of any living being that walks can be placed within an elephant’s footprint, and so the elephant’s footprint is declared the chief of them because of its great size; so too, all wholesome states can be included in the Four Noble Truths.
https://suttacentral.net/en/mn28/2.1-2.215
The Four Ennobling Tasks
the four noble truths/realities can also be seen as pragmatic tasks as per [SN56.11]
- to be known/understood completely (pariññeyyaṃ)
- the reality of suffering
- to be abandoned (pahātabbaṃ)
- the reality of the origin of suffering
- to be witnessed/realized/attained (sacchikātabbaṃ)
- the reality of the cessation of suffering
- to be cultivated/developed (bhāvetabbaṃ)
- the reality of the path leading to the cessation of suffering
discussion on the usage of ‘ariya’
relation to Specific Conditionality
Specific Conditionality (idappaccayatā) is often seen as the fundamental structure of the more complicated chains of Dependent Arising. The basic formulation of Specific Conditionality is as follows:
When [this] is, [that] is.
From the arising of [this] comes the arising of [that].
When [this] isn’t, [that] isn’t.
From the cessation of [this] comes the cessation of [that].
The Four Noble Truths can fit into this scheme as follows:
When [craving] is, [suffering] is
From the arising of [craving] comes the arising of [suffering]
When [craving] isn’t, [suffering] isn’t
From the cessation of [craving] comes the cessation of [suffering]
The Eightfold Noble Path is the way leading to the cessation of craving, and thus also the cessation of suffering.
as a medical diagnostic scheme
- disease: dukkha
- pathogen: craving (arising of dukkha)
- health: nibbāna (cessation of dukkha)
- cure: eightfold noble path
(sutta reference in the saṃyukta āgama, study by Bhikku Anālayo)
The Four Noble Truths in more detail
- Dukkha Sacca
- in brief: the 5 grasping khandas (sn56.11)
- (re)birth, aging, sickness, death, union with what is displeasing, separation from what is pleasing, not to get what one wants [sn56.11]
- Three Kinds of Suffering [sn45.165]
- dukkhadukkhatā - suffering due to pain
- related to the sign of dukkha (suffering/pain)?
- vipariṇāmadukkhatā - suffering due to change
- related to the sign of anicca (impermanence)?
- saṅkhāradukkhatā - suffering due to conditionality
- related to the sign of anatta (insubstantiality of all phenomena)?
- dukkhadukkhatā - suffering due to pain
- Samudaya Sacca
- 3 kinds of craving (taṇhā) [sn56.11]
- kāmataṇhā (craving for sensual pleasure)
- bhavataṇhā (craving for existence)
- vibhavataṇhā (craving for non-existence)
- avijja
- āsavas [mn1]
- akusalamūla [an3.69]
- paṭiccasamuppāda in general
- this/that conditionality (idappaccayatā)
- 12 links, 10 links, 9 links
- nidāna/lokiya sequences: chart
- Nirodha Sacca
- the complete fading away and cessation without remainder of that craving (taṇhā)
- liberation, letting go, release, and non-adherence
- Liberative Dependent Arising [sn12.23,an10.2]
- seclusion, dispassion, cessation, maturing in release, nibbāna