Buddhism Plain and Simple - By Steve Hagen
Truth requires no explanation, only to be seen.
Notes
Truth
The concept of Truth is central to the teachings in the book. What inspires me the most is how it resonates with the notion of Tao in Tao Te Ching:
道可道, 非常道 (The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao)
Whether we call it Tao or Truth, both concepts elude capture in words or fixed principles. Truth is fluid, ever-changing, and only perceptible to those who seek it with an open, objective mind. To perceive Truth, one must be fully present, unclouded by subjective perceptions or emotions.
Seeing the truth - and understands that it encompasses all - is solely our responsibility. This practise fosters a calm and one-pointed mind.
Existence and Sources of Duhkha
The book outlines four truths: Duhkha (sufferings) exists, it arises from cravings, it can cease, and the Eightfold Path offers a way to end it.
Duhkha manifests three forms:
- Straightforward pain (physical and mental)
- Change (the constant flux of life)
- Being (the inherent dissatisfaction of existence)
The idea that change causes suffering is a recurring theme across different philosophies. From Meditations:
Frightened of change? But what can exist without it?
Humans often resist change, desiring a stable reality that aligns with their expectations. When reality deviates from these perceptions, it leads to instability and disappointment. This stems from our cravings—desires for things to be a certain way. As a simple equation puts it: satisfaction equals what we have divided by what we want. If we desire nothing, we find contentment in whatever we encounter.
I do not have a solid understanding on the suffering of existence.
Ceasing Duhkha
What arises can cease, and the Eightfold Path provides the framework.
Buddhism teaches that suppressing desires is not the answer; simply willing ourselves to stop wanting does not eliminate suffering. Instead, we must observe our desires, understand their nature, and see the Truth to stop fueling them.
Two guiding principles for addressing desires are "less desire" and "forgetting the self." These suggest an inward journey to understand our needs and an outward focus to perceive the world without preconceptions. By seeing the world as it is, we recognize the insignificance of our cravings in the broader context.
The Eightfold Path offers practices to end Duhkha, with Right View and Right Intention as foundational elements. Right View involves perceiving Truth by focusing on the present moment and direct experience, free from the pursuit of meaning or happiness. As the book states:
Right view is wholesome, inclusive, and non-oppositional, embracing the whole without clinging to specific views.
With Right View, our minds align with reality, acknowledging its impermanence and constant change. We are not separate from this flux but part of it, rendering attachment to gains or losses futile. Right Intention builds on this, encouraging us to be present and engage with immediate experience to realize Truth.
A lingering question is how to avoid nihilism if the focus is on seeing reality rather than acting. The answer, I believe, lies in clarity: once we see reality clearly, our actions naturally align with it, much like the Stoic principle of acting in accordance with nature.
Quotes
- Truth is known by seeing it for yourself; embrace it when seen, otherwise suspend judgment and criticism.
- Buddha's teachings point to Truth like a finger to the moon, but they are not Truth; awakened ones only guide the way.
- Truth requires no explanation, only to be seen.
- Examine the nature and origin of problems.
- Authority is solely yours, inescapable and non-transferable.
- End unease of mind by seeing there’s nothing external to gain; everything is whole and complete in this moment.
- Duhkha (suffering) has three forms: straightforward pain (physical and mental), change (constant flux), and the duhkha of being.
- Duhkha arises from craving: sensual desire, craving for being, and non-being.
- We are always here, unable to leave the present moment.
- Eradicate problems by seeing them clearly, thus ceasing to feed them.
- Action is inevitable; the question is whether you see clearly, not whether you act.
- Don’t suppress desire; seeing it clearly is the goal, not eliminating it.
- The third truth: what arises (like duhkha) can cease.
- We misperceive change as persistent, despite direct experience showing only flux.
- Buddha-dharma offers two ways to stop desire: "less desire" and "forgetting the self."
- No pressure needed; clarity comes from seeing what leads to confusion or clarity.
- Forgetting the self means focusing desires outward, in relation to others, creatures, the planet, and universe.
- The fourth truth, the eightfold path, provides realization and practice to end duhkha.
- Right view is wholesome, inclusive, and non-oppositional, embracing the whole without clinging to specific views.
- Right intention, speech, livelihood, effort, and mindfulness address duhkha awareness and moral responsibility.
- Real moral responsibility is being awake each moment, not following rigid rules.
- Truth and Reality are self-evident, not needing explanation or conceptualization.
- Reality cannot be conceived, only perceived; conceptualizing it creates contradictions.
- Right intention is being present without gaining ideas, simply returning to the moment.
- Meditation is being here now, not a future goal; meditate in the present moment.
- Right effort is natural presence, not forcing control or enlightenment, but being in the moment.
- Right action promotes harmony, acting from seeing the whole, free of divisiveness.
- Right mindfulness weaves the eightfold path, returning to reality moment by moment.
- Right meditation is staying with immediate experience, neither creating nor manipulating.
- We are already enlightened but obscure truth with thoughts, beliefs, and concepts.
- Existential angst (deep duhkha) arises from doubt tied to conceptual thought.
- Right view is bare attention to reality, not a belief or concept, relying on direct experience.
- Searching for meaning creates meaninglessness; seeing reality transcends the need for meaning.
- No separate self exists; experience and perception occur without an identifiable experiencer.
- Suffering (duhkha) stems from believing in a static "I" amidst constant flux.
- Seeing reality doesn’t alter it; suffering comes from confusion, not reality itself.
- Awakened individuals have thoughts but recognize they differ from direct perception.
- Consciousness splits the seamless whole into multiplicity, creating space and time.
- Reality is in direct perception, not in conceptualized thoughts or solidified ideas.
- Relative truths are practical concepts, but mistaking them for ultimate truth causes trouble.
- Ultimate Truth is direct perception of seamless flux, not conceptualizable or imaginable.
- Duhkha is bondage from habitual thought patterns; freedom comes from watching the mind’s leanings.
- Seeing reality doesn’t mean inaction; the question is whether you’re awake, not whether you act.
- Freedom is in seeing, not craving or ignorance; attend to immediate experience to realize truth.