Four Noble Truths

The purpose of this article is to explore how the Asheyana Secular Buddhist path would relate to a more traditional Buddhist teaching on the Four Noble Truths.

To be clear at the beginning, the Buddhist Four Noble Truths is not proposed here as the basis of the Asheyana Secular Buddhist path. Rather, the experience of Resting At Ease in the Beautiful Home of Insubstantial Basis can be thought of as the basis of the Asheyana Secular Buddhist path. 

This article is also not a presentation of the Four Noble Truths as being central to all Buddhist traditions.

1. The Appearance of Joyless Anxiety

• Pervaded by dualism. Consumed by concern for dualistic outcomes.

• In visceral terms, one seeks the next temporary access to pleasure to escape an overbearing, externally appearing world of Substantial Basis or one seeks the next temporary relief from pain to escape an overbearing, externally appearing world of Substantial Basis. 

• In conceptual terms, one seeks the next temporary access to validating meaning to escape an overbearing, externally appearing world of Substantial Basis or one seeks the next temporary relief from rejecting meaning to escape an overbearing, externally appearing world of Substantial Basis.

• Linear course after linear course is joylessly charted to the next temporary access or relief, obscuring the vivid possibilities that would otherwise arise freely from the Insubstantial Basis.
  
  

2. The Root Cause of Joyless Anxiety

• Belief in Substantial Basis. Conviction in solidity beneath the appearances of Self-Being, Other-Being and Concept.

• In visceral terms,  one develops conviction in a Substantial Basis of Being, splitting the world of beings into solid opposites--"Self", me and mine or "Other", not me and not mine. 

  • Self-being is worthy of Good and its variants and unworthy of Bad and its variants while Other-being is unworthy of Good and its variants and worthy of Bad and its variants.

• In conceptual terms, one develops conviction in a Substantial Basis of Concepts, splitting the world of meaning into solid opposites--true and false, sacred and desecrated, pure and impure, good and evil, and so on. (momentum)

• Having developed conviction in Substantial Basis, one is compelled to: 

  • For Substantial Basis representing Good or Self, one sets actions into motion seeking to attract, build up, or protect appearances reflecting that Substantial Basis with a reoccurring existential zeal that devolves over time into joyless anxiety.

  • For Substantial Basis representing Bad or Other, one sets actions into motion seeking to repel, undermine, or destroy appearances reflecting that Substantial Basis with a reoccurring existential dread that devolves over time into joyless anxiety.

3. The Possibility of Return Home to Joyful Contentment

• Renunciation of belief in Substantial Basis. Release of conviction in solidity beneath the appearances of Self-Being, Other-Being, Concept, External Projection, and Spacetime Distance.

• In visceral terms, having given up belief in Substantial Basis of Being, beings 'perfect from the beginning' is realized. Joyful contentment arises, as does timeless patience with oneself and with others, along with other wakeful and positive qualities arising freely from the Insubstantial Basis.

• In conceptual terms, having given up belief in Substantial Basis of Concepts, a gentle, non-competitive ordering of encountered ideas from coarse to excellent, each with an appropriate place of expression, naturally occurs. Beneficial and timely concepts arise freely from the Insubstantial Basis. 

• The experience of Resting At Ease in the Beautiful Home of Insubstantial Basis has been accomplished and is returned to again and again.

4. A Gradual Path of Disciplines to Increase the Probability of Return Home to Joyful Contentment

• One perseveres in Walking the Wakeful Path Home.

• Right View can be seen as knowing the four points discussed in this article. 

  • Karma can be known here by 'action of body, speech or mind that reduces one's power to choose Return Home to Joyful Contentment'

    • Fate, determinism, eternalism and its variants, and nihilism and its variants are seen expressions asserting Substantial Basis.

  • Rebirth can be known here by 'entering unexpectedly into an archetypal psychological state.' 

  • Afterlife is not contemplated here, although 'walking the wakeful path' is proposed as skillful preparation for one's inevitable departure from this life.

• Right Intention can be seen as making an honest, wholehearted attempt to engage in 'walking the wakeful path.'

• Right Speech is generally covered in the Eight Renunciations.

• Right Conduct is also generally covered in 'the eight renunciations.' 

  • Ethical Conduct discussed further into the 'wakeful path' builds upon the moral propositions in 'the eight renunciations,' implying a more refined skill at discerning and arriving at beneficent outcomes in ambiguous or complex situations.

• Right Livelihood is generally considered the very beginning of the 'wakeful path,' aligning with 'the eight renunciations' as part of one's "long journey."

• Right Effort is applying one's meditative mind throughout one's daily life.

• Right Mindfulness is developing stability of mind through Calm Abiding meditation.

• Right Concentration is applying Mental Focuses in one's meditation to prepare the mind for Clear Seeing. 

May the words of this article help to clarify some relationship between the Asheyana Secular Buddhist path and a more traditional Buddhist teaching, and may this provide inspiration for Walking the Wakeful Path Home.