3.2.4.3

Lesson 3.2.4.3 Saccapabbaṃpabbaṃ, Part Three: Nirodhasaccaniddeso – Exposition of the Truth of the Cessation of Suffering

Doesn’t the Buddha, with his persistent declarations of ever-prevalent craving and the concurrent misery, spoil one’s appetite with such a pessimistic approach to life? The exposition of the third Noble Truth, the Nirodhasaccaniddeso which provides a method for the ‘cessation of suffering’, should put such misapprehension into the right perspective. If enjoying the enjoyable isn’t a guarantee for lasting happiness and satisfaction then why should one finish up the whole bar of chocolate after the first few bites or go after another scoop of ice cream or add a closing dish of cheese plus a dessert after an already satiating dinner? The point the Buddha makes is that yearning and craving can never be satisfied and will always result in more craving, accompanied by clinging and attachment. It is a prevailing feeling of dis-satisfaction and insufficiency that perpetuates this vicious circle. By illuminating the fundamental origin, source and arising of such inherent feeling, the Buddha offers a method to a more accepting attitude that removes clinging and attachment thus enabling one to develop a more content disposition. This proposes a rather optimistic approach to fostering a wholesome ‘art of living’ on the mundane (lokiyā) level. Of course, this ‘art of living’ is simply a byproduct as the Buddha encourages one to proceed further into the supramundane (lokuttarā), as portrayed later in lesson 3.2.4.4.