Tatha Sutta: Real

2009novice SG

Rephrase: suffering is real and neverending...

"Monks, these four things are real, not unreal, not otherwise. Which four?

"'This is stress,' is real, not unreal, not otherwise. 'This is the origination of stress,' is real, not unreal, not otherwise. 'This is the cessation of stress,' is real, not unreal, not otherwise. 'This is the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress,' is real, not unreal, not otherwise.

"These are the four things that are real, not unreal, not otherwise.

"Therefore your duty is the contemplation, 'This is stress... This is the origination of stress... This is the cessation of stress... This is the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress.'"

BareAwareness SG

hmm … after I had read through the clauses, I did not form the understanding that as you noted ‘suffering is real and neverending …’. In fact, my understanding is quite different from your understanding.

The clauses illuminated the emptiness and non-duality of all phenomena. The origination of the above clauses start with the concept of ‘stress’ which is also empty in nature. The concept of ‘stress’ is empty, therefore it follows that ‘the origination of stress’ is empty, which follows that ‘the cessation of stress’ is empty and the ‘the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress’ is empty.

If you see the emptiness within what it said, you will see that suffering does not inherently exist. Suffering is therefore not real ultimately. In fact it is not real and not not-real (non-dual). In fact there is only suchness, beyond concepts. That is our true nature. It is untouched.

Don’t know whether you know what I am saying. Read between the meaning of the word. Buddha has told us not to grasp to the meaning of the sutta word but to see beyond it because all concepts are empty. That includes the Dharma. Smile

Aik TC SG

The Tatha Sutta is a sutta in the Pali language of the Tharavada Buddhism. This teaching is pluralistic realism in nature. All elements, i.e, every dhamma in itself is real and existing including Nibbana. This is the only dhamma that is considered to be unconditioned. We should read this sutta in the Tharavada context. The Four Noble Truths is as stated.