The word Nirodha has been translated as
“cessation” for so long that it has become standard
practice, and any deviation from it leads to queries.
For the most part this standard translation is for the
sake of convenience as well as to avoid confusing it for
other Pali terms (apart from lack of a better word). In
fact, however, this rendering of the word “Nirodha” as
“ceased” can in many instances be a mis-rendering of the
text.
Generally speaking, the word “cease” means to do away
with something which has already arisen, or the stopping
of something which has already begun. However, Nirodha
in the teaching of Dependent Origination (as also in
Dukkhanirodha, the third of the Four Noble Truths) means
the non-arising, or non-existence, of something because
the cause of its arising is done away with. For example,
the phrase “when Avijja is Nirodha, sankhara are also
Nirodha,” which is usually taken to mean “with the
cessation of ignorance, volitional impulses cease,” in
fact means “when there is no ignorance, or no arising of
ignorance, or when there is no longer any problem with
ignorance, there are no volitional impulses, volitional
impulses do not arise, or there is no longer any problem
with volitional impulses.” It does not mean that
ignorance already arisen must be done away with before
the volitional impulses which have already arisen will
also be done away with.
Where Nirodha should be rendered as cessation is when it
is used in reference to the natural way of things, or
the nature of compounded things. In this sense it is a
synonym for the words bhanga, breaking up, anicca,
transient, khaya, cessation or vaya, decay. For example,
in the Pali it is given: imam kho bhikkhave tisso vedana
anicca sankhata paticcasamuppanna khayadhamma vayadhamma
viragadhamma nirodhadhamma: “Monks, these three kinds of
feeling are naturally impermanent, compounded,
dependently arisen, transient, subject to decay,
dissolution, fading and cessation.”[S.IV.214] (All of
the factors occurring in the Dependent Origination cycle
have the same nature.) In this instance, the meaning is
“all conditioned things (sankhara), having arisen, must
inevitably decay and fade according to supporting
factors.” There is no need to try to stop them, they
cease of themselves. Here the intention is to describe a
natural condition which, in terms of practice, simply
means “that which arises can be done away with.”
As for Nirodha in the third Noble Truth (or the
Dependent Origination cycle in cessation mode), although
it also describes a natural process, its emphasis is on
practical considerations. It is translated in two ways
in the Visuddi Magga. One way traces the etymology to
“ni” (without) + “rodha” (prison, confine, obstacle,
wall, impediment), thus rendering the meaning as
“without impediment,” “free of confinement.”
This is explained as “free of impediments, that is, the
confinement of Samsara.” Another definition traces the
origin to anuppada, meaning “not arising” and goes on to
say “Nirodha here does not mean bhanga, breaking up and
dissolution.”
Therefore, translating Nirodha as “cessation”, although
not entirely wrong, is nevertheless not entirely
accurate. On the other hand, there is no other word
which comes so close to the essential meaning as
“cessation.” However, we should understand what is meant
by the term.
In this context, the Dependent Origination cycle in its
cessation mode might be better rendered as “being free
of ignorance, there is freedom from volitional impulses
...” or “when ignorance is gone, volitional impulses are
gone ...” or “when ignorance ceases to give fruit,
volitional impulses cease to give fruit ...” or “when
ignorance is no longer a problem, volitional impulses
are no longer a problem.”
This is what distinguishes the Buddha’s teachings
from the teachings of many other Indian schools,
particularly the teachings of the tradition of yoga. It
is also what distinguishes Buddhism from some of the
contemplative traditions of other religions, because in
Buddhism meditation by itself is not enough. Meditation
is like sharpening a pencil sharpening the mind so to
speak. Just as when we sharpen a pencil we sharpen it
for purpose, so that we can write with it, so in
sharpening the mind we have a purpose, and that purpose
is wisdom. This relationship between meditation and
wisdom is better understood by the example of a torch.
Suppose we want to see a picture in a darkened room with
a torch. If there are many draughts in the room, we will
find that the light of the torch will flicker. Similarly
if your hand shakes, the light cast by the torch will be
unsteady and we will.
In the same way, if we went to penetrate into the real
nature of things, if your mind is unsteady, distracted,
waves as a result of emotional disturbances, then we
will not be able to penetrate into real nature of
things. The Buddha applied this discovery on the night
of His Enlightenment when we are told that with His mind
concentrated, made one pointed and supple by meditation.
He directed it to the understanding of the nature
reality and penetrated the real nature of things. So the
Buddha’s Enlightenment was the direct result of this
combination of meditation and wisdom - concentration and
insight.
Wisdom
We also find other aspects of wisdom expressed in the
life of the Buddha, and one of course the middle way -
the most basic significance of the middle way is the
avoidance of the extreme of indulgence in pleasure of
the senses and the extreme of tormenting the body.
The middle way is exemplified in the life of the Buddha
by His own experience of a life of luxury as a Prince
and by the six years of vigorous asceticism which He
practised after He left His father’s place. After
realising the futility of these extremes in His own
experiences. He then hit upon the middle way which
avoids these extremes.
There are many other important episodes in the life of
the Buddha.
But if we can begin to see and understand the life of
the Buddha as a lesson and not simply as a biography
containing a number of names and place; if we can begin
to appreciate the values and qualities that are
exemplified in the life of the Buddha, then we can
gaingreater insight into the real significance of the
life of the Buddha.
පුර අටවක
පසෙලාස්වක
අව
අටවක
අමාවක