Renunciation

Renunciation How it Arises

At a certain point in one's life, one may come to the realization that the values we were raised to believe in, and the ideals society promotes as the path to happiness, feel hollow. The pursuit of money, indulgence in food, love, sex, relationships, and the obsession with appearance, all the things we were taught would lead to a fulfilling life, upon closer examination, seem empty of substance. Ultimately they don’t seem to provide any real satisfaction or lead anywhere meaningful.

One begins to notice that, everywhere one looks, people are chasing these goals without question, yet very few seem genuinely content. Instead, there appears to be an overwhelming sense of emptiness, a realization that these external pursuits fail to bring lasting satisfaction.

It becomes clear that what society defines as success and joy is built upon the relentless chase for fleeting pleasures, a life consumed by the constant pursuit of fulfilling one's desires. Eventually, one begins to look in a different direction: inward.

If one is fortunate enough to encounter the Tathagata’s teachings and has developed a deep insight into the First and Second Noble Truths, a natural intention emerges to break free, renounce the endless cycle of craving and aversion, and abandon the stress and dissatisfaction that result.

And what, friends, is the truth held by noble ones of the cessation of stress? The remainderless fading and cessation, renunciation, relinquishment, release, and letting go of that very craving.

MN141

For someone living a modern lifestyle, renunciation can be a challenging concept to grasp. It can also be thought of as letting go, freeing oneself, abandoning, surrendering, relinquishing, or unbinding.

Renunciation does not mean rejecting or avoiding all worldly things. Instead, it is the realization that much of the unhappiness and suffering we experience is created by the mind as it entangles itself in its own fabrications.

It is the realization that anything subject to change, such as forms, feelings, perceptions, thoughts, and consciousness, what we call experience, if taken personally or viewed as "self," will inevitably lead to stress and dissatisfaction.

Renunciation arises from recognizing that the path to freedom from this entanglement lies in the Noble Eightfold Path and the Gradual Training. It is the understanding that true peace, free from the stress and dissatisfaction caused by the cycles of desire, aversion, and not knowing, is genuine happiness.

Renunciation is not merely a concept, philosophy, or intellectual view. It is a deeply felt, whole-body, and conscious process, a deliberate intention to continually liberate oneself from stress and unhappiness by disentangling oneself from the "world" and the Five Aggregates.

Renunciation is the continuous intention to release clinging to the Five Aggregates and to abandon the unwholesome mind states that arise from this attachment.

Renunciation In Ancient Times

Traditionally, individuals seeking liberation have renounced worldly life by going to live in the forest or some other wilderness. After a few months of separation from village life and worldly desires, the fever or "Fires of Nibbana" would die down. Worldly desires, intentions, and thoughts would subside enough for one to start to see things clearly.

Living in the wilderness for an extended time, the laws of nature become self-evident, namely that everything in nature is infinitely variable, constantly changing, born, arising, decaying, and dying. One clearly sees the interdependence and causes and conditions for all things in nature.

For example, a tree seedling arises from the soil, grows tall, matures, flowers, spreads its seeds, and eventually becomes part of the soil itself. Insects feed on the soil, their feces become fertilizer, rain and sun nourish plants, the wind blows, mountains erode, and rivers rise and fall according to the seasons.

One comes to realize that there is very little in nature to cling to. The notion of big or small, beautiful or ugly, and all judgments of the world find little footing here. One finds that one functions perfectly fine without any thoughts and that speech, logic, and judgment have little use.

One soon realizes that freedom from thoughts, judgments, and logic bring immense inner peace and contentment. Being alone in the wilderness, a new type of awareness arises: the unknowable, alive, mystical nature of the world, an inner "knowing."

Death becomes one's friend and not the enemy as previously believed, as one must remain constantly aware of any dangers, bringing a new aliveness, yet being totally at peace, understanding that fear, thoughts, and self-absorption have no place here.

Reflecting back on village life and the worldly realm, one realizes that the real danger was not the poisonous snakes and tigers or loneliness in the wilderness, but humanity's greed and unknowing and mindless actions. By contemplating nature and the worldly life, one starts to develop Right View.

However, when one goes back into a nearby village for food, there still remains attachment, and there is still some fever and allure.

In ancient India 2600 years ago, If one is fortunate enough to find the Tathagata or one of his Arahant disciples, because Right View is partially established, one immediately recognizes and sees the value of the Tathagata's teachings, and the path to final liberation and ending of all worldly desires becomes clear.

One can now turn their mind inwards to the mind itself, where these same laws of nature reveal themselves. That is, like everything else in nature, the body is subject to birth, growth, decay, and death. One discovers that the "enhancements" created by the five aggregates, feelings, perceptions, thoughts, etc., are not-self, mere phenomena of nature, not necessary for happiness and that clinging to them is the cause of unhappiness.

Renunciation The Challenge in Modern Times

Unlike renunciates from 2,600 years ago, modern individuals attempting to follow the Tathagata's gradual training face two major challenges.

First, the Tathagata predicted that his teachings would eventually decline, fade, and become corrupted, and ultimately disappear. He foresaw that the Dhamma would become fragmented, making it difficult for people to discern which of his teachings are true Dhamma and which are false interpretations.

Today, as we look around the Buddhist landscape, we can see that some of his predictions have already come to pass, as there are three major branches of Buddhism: Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana, each containing numerous sects and sub-sects.

For example, the Visuddhimagga is considered one of the most important texts in the Theravada tradition, serving as a systematic guide to the practice and understanding of the Dhamma. However, it was written in the 5th century CE, almost one thousand years later, by the Indian scholar Buddhaghosa. It is a reinterpretation of the Tathagata's original teachings to make them more acceptable for people of that period, but adding interpretations not in the original discourses.

More recently, in the last 50 years, with mass media and the internet, the pace of fragmentation has greatly accelerated as hundreds or thousands of authors attempt to reinterpret existing reinterpretations of the Tathagata's teachings to make them relevant to contemporary life, each with their own new interpretations and explanations.

The second major challenge is that originally, the Tathagata's teachings, the Gradual Training, was meant only for those select few disciples who "had little dust in their eyes", were willing to renounce all worldly life, and then only after being accepted by the Sangha.

It was a few hundred years after the Tathagata's passing that Buddhism became a formal religion. During this time, monasteries were established, and his teachings were made accessible to everyone. As a result, the focus gradually shifted from attaining liberation to creating good karma, with the aim of improving one's current and future lifetimes.

Nowadays, with most people having lost faith in religion, the emphasis has shifted even further away from the original teachings, to reinterpreting the Tathagata's teachings to solve psychological problems, relieve stress, and improve quality of life.

In other words, it's important to understand that almost all Buddhist teachings today are not geared to those seeking liberation. They are geared towards those who want to improve their current life, be a good person, and maybe generate good karma for this and future lifetimes.

The Tathagata's Gradual Training is the path to liberation from the world, not entanglement in it. It is the cessation of Karma. If you're not fully committed to liberation, renouncing worldly life, and ending the cycle of rebirth, there is little value in following the Gradual Training or studying the materials on this site. You may find it more useful to read modern Buddhist writings that focus on mental well being, improving relationships, relieving stress, or enhancing the quality of life.

The Dhamma as your refuge

Because today's Buddhist teachings have become fragmented and are generally geared toward creating merit and improving one's current and future lives, finding the right teacher who teaches in line with the Tathagata's Gradual Training for liberation is exceedingly difficult.

Before passing away the Tathagata gave the following instructions to the Sangha:

Ānanda, you should all live with yourselves as your island, yourselves as your refuge, with no other as your refuge; with the Dhamma as your island, the Dhamma as your refuge, with no other as your refuge.

DN16

In other words we no longer have the Buddha or a reliable Sangha for guidance. We only have ourself and the Dhamma.

Fortunately, the Dhamma, the Tathagata's original discourses, have remained intact and can generally be trusted. However, because today's mindset is so different from that of 2,600 years ago, and because modern people often lack the depth, quiet mind, and patience to read the discourses and figure things out on their own, they tend to rely on interpretations of his teachings.

But as the Tathagata foresaw and instructed his disciples, no other teachers or interpretations of his teachings can be fully trusted (including any writings on this site). It is essential for anyone seeking liberation to penetrate the true Dhamma for themselves, by studying the Tathagata's original discourses.

This doesn't mean other teachers do not have valuable insights or teachings. It means that one has to verify these teachings, to make sure they are consistent with the original discources, and specifically for the Gradual Training.

This requires that one must first penetrate the true meaning of the Tathagata's teachings through practice and verify any insights or progress by having a thorough understanding of the Suttas, keeping in mind possible translation errors and the vastly different mindset and intended audience compared to 2,600 years ago.

Penetrating the Dhamma does not come from reading words or listening to Dhamma talks. It comes from clear seeing. The purpose of the Gradual Training and The Noble Eightfold Path is to gradually remove afflictions so one can develop 'knowing,' clear seeing of how we entangle ourselves in stress and suffering, and to discern the path leading to its cessation.

Rebirth and Beings in Other Realms

With the mind thus concentrated ... directed and inclined to the knowing of the passing away and reappearance of beings.

With the divine eye, purified and surpassing the human, he sees beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, fair and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and he understands how beings pass on according to their actions: These beings, who were endowed with bad conduct of body, speech, and mind, who reviled the noble ones, held wrong views and undertook actions under the influence of wrong views, with the breakup of the body, after death, have reappeared in a state of deprivation, in a bad destination, in perdition, even in hell.

But these beings, who were endowed with good conduct of body, speech, and mind, who did not revile the noble ones, who held right views and undertook actions under the influence of right views, with the breakup of the body, after death, have reappeared in a good destination, in a heavenly world.

DN10

One of the reasons Buddhism has become fragmented and the Tathagata's teachings have become corrupted is people's clinging to scientific principles, particularly the belief that everything in this world is based on physical matter, and that the mind and consciousness are purely products of atoms, molecules, and chemical processes.

Many modern Buddhist teachers, both in the West and increasingly in the East, disregard or dismiss the Tathagata's teachings on rebirth and other realms of existence as mere cultural artifacts of that time, irrelevant to the core teachings.

However, this dismissal is a mistake, leading to a wrong view and incorrect interpretation of the teachings.

In the Buddhist worldview, there is indeed a physical realm, consisting of things like our physical bodies, created by atoms, molecules, cells, and chemical processes. However, there is also a more subtle dimension, the mental world. This mental world can be understood as mental energy, permeating all universes across infinite time and space.

Our consciousness is composed of mental energy, and the mind, made of this energy, is the precursor to existence. In other words, our mental body, formed from this mental energy or karma, which we refer to as our "self", takes on a human body, lives through it, and, after the body dies, is eventually reborn into a new human body. This process is known as rebirth.

Depending on one's karma, the mental body can manifest in various forms across different realms of existence. It may take physical form in the animal realm or exist as a subtle mental body in the Deva realms. In the Brahma realms, it can exist in a formless state. For individuals that have disregarded the law of cause and effect and performed extremely unwholesome deeds, the mental body can also take on a mental form in the hell realms.

This is a crutial part of the Tathagata's teachings to understand, because for there to be no rebirth or for there to be a rebirth in a good realm, one must have let go of the desire to be in a human body and, ultimately, in any form of being.

The essence and ultimate purpose of the Tathagata's teachings is to prepare oneself for what follows after the death of the physical body.

And when, Master Gotama, a person lays down this body and is not yet reborn in another body, what does Master Gotama declare to be his fuel?

When, Vaccha, a person lays down this body and is not yet reborn in another body, I declare that it is fueled by craving. For at that time, Vaccha, craving is his fuel.

SN54.9

If one is unprepared at the time of death, their past karma may cause them to panic and hastily take on a new body based on their unsettled mental state. This confusion can result in an unfavorable rebirth.

On the other hand, if one has properly prepared by seeing the body as not-self and removing attachment to it, they will be at peace existing without a physical form. Depending on one's past karma, one may take on a purely mental body in the Deva realms or a formless body in the Brahma realms.

If one has completely let go of attachment to the Five Aggregates, one can transcend the cycle of rebirth entirely.

Without understanding this, much of the Tathagata's teachings may be misinterpreted, and genuine progress on the path will be difficult to achieve.

There are, Potthapada, three acquisitions of self for me: the gross acquisition of self, the mind-made acquisition of self, and the formless acquisition of self.

And what, Potthapada, is the gross acquisition of self? It is the one with form, composed of the four great elements, feeding on physical food; this is called the gross acquisition of self.

And what is the mind-made acquisition of self? It is the one with form, mind-made, complete in all its parts, not deficient in any sense organ; this is called the mind-made acquisition of self.

And what is the formless acquisition of self? It is the one without form, made of perception; this is called the formless acquisition of self.

And, Potthapada, I teach the Dhamma for the abandoning of the gross acquisition of self... And, Potthapada, I teach the Dhamma for the abandoning of the mind-made acquisition of self... And, Poṭṭhapāda, I teach the Dhamma for the abandoning of the formless acquisition of self...

As you practice, defiling qualities will be abandoned, and wholesome qualities will grow, leading to the fulfillment of wisdom and the attainment of full understanding in this very life, living having realized it with your own insight.

DN9

Delight is the Root of All Suffering

In his first discourse in the Majjhima Nikaya (MN1), the Tathagata expounds the root of all suffering: an ordinary person's craving and attachment to being, existing in a body as a separate self, seeking pleasure from the objects of the world. As a result, various self-views arise, leading to desire, aversion, and unknowing.

An unlearned ordinary person, who is unskilled in the noble teachings ....

perceives earth as earth; having perceived earth as earth, he conceives (thinks or imagines) earth, he conceives in earth, he conceives from earth, he conceives 'earth is mine,' he delights in earth.

What is the reason for that? I say, It is because it has not been fully understood.

MN1

As previously covered, this three-dimensional world, in which we perceive ourselves as separate beings seeking happiness from the external world, is created within consciousness; it is not reality itself, it is the result of the ingrained memories, Karma and the cognition process, what the Tathagata calls the Five Aggregates.

These ingrained memories create continuity and the assumed impression or view that there is a self, a person in the background experiencing everything.

Because of this person or self view, every time there is something of interest in experience, an ordinary person desires and clings to the ingrained memories and perceptions created by the Five Aggregates, which results in greed, aversion, and unknowing, ultimately resulting in unhappiness and suffering.

There are these four kinds of clinging, disciples. What four?

Clinging to sensual pleasures, clinging to views, clinging to precepts and practices, clinging to a doctrine of self.

MN11

The main cause of stress and dissatisfaction lies in the mistaken assumption that there is a person in the background experiencing the outside world through the Five Aggregates.

People take for granted that the various views and perspectives they hold, how they see the world, are reality itself. For instance, most assume they are "seeing" through their eyes, rather than understanding that what they perceive is merely a series of images created in consciousness. They believe they can experience something beyond the Five Aggregates, not realizing that even the thought of an experience "outside" the aggregates is itself just another aggregate-based experience.

This misunderstanding leads them to believe that sensual pleasures exist as inherent qualities in the objects of the world, failing to realize that these pleasures are created by the mind. They chase after these worldly pleasures, unaware that they are mental fabrications.

They assume that the desire for worldly objects will result in pleasure, but in reality, this very desire creates stress and painful feelings.

Out of ignorance, people wrongly perceive that satisfaction comes from obtaining the objects of their desire. In truth, what they mistake for satisfaction is merely the relief from the stress and pain of not having what they wanted, a temporary reprieve that is misinterpreted as genuine contentment.

An Arahant, with taints destroyed, who has lived the holy life, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, reached the true goal, destroyed the fetters of being, and is completely liberated through final knowledge, he too understands the earth as earth; having understood the earth as earth, he does not conceive the earth, he does not conceive in the earth, he does not conceive from the earth, he does not conceive earth is mine, he does not delight in the earth.

What is the reason for this? 'Delight is the root of suffering': Thus knowing, 'From becoming comes birth, from birth comes aging and death.'

'The Tathagata, through the complete destruction, fading away, cessation, giving up, and relinquishment of all craving, is fully awakened to unsurpassed perfect enlightenment,' I say.

MN1

A liberated person, by contrast, no longer perceives themselves as a separate individual distinct from the world. They have relinquished all mind-created views and perspectives, no longer identifying with the constructs of the mind.

They have realized the self-illuminating, knowing nature of awareness itself, a state that transcends the fabrications of the Five Aggregates. Dwelling in this pure awareness, they remain free from clinging to the mental fabrications and objectifications generated by the Five Aggregates.

Abandoning Defilements is the Path to Liberation

In the second discourse of the Majjhima Nikaya (MN2), the Tathagata explains the different ways one can overcome desire, aversion, ignorance, and the view of self by abandoning the defilements.

There are defilements to be abandoned by seeing,
defilements to be abandoned by restraining,
defilements to be abandoned by using,
defilements to be abandoned by enduring,
defilements to be abandoned by avoiding,
defilements to be abandoned by removing,
and defilements to be abandoned by developing.

MN2

The Gradual Training and the Eightfold Path provide the means to abandon these defilements.

The Need for a Gradual Training

I do not say that the attainment of knowing is achieved at the beginning;

but gradual training, gradual practice, gradual progress leads to the attainment of knowing.

And how does gradual training, gradual practice, gradual progress lead to the attainment of knowing?

Here one who has faith approaches, having approached, he attends, attending, he listens, listening, he hears the Dhamma, having heard the Dhamma, he retains it, retaining the Dhamma, he examines the meaning, examining the meaning, the Dhamma is accepted, with acceptance of the Dhamma, desire arises, with desire arisen, he exerts himself, exerting himself, he weighs it up, weighing it up, he strives, striving, being resolute, he realizes the ultimate truth with the body, and penetrates it with wisdom.

MN70

The Gradual Training is the process of freeing oneself from the afflictions and delusions born from craving for sensual pleasures. It involves the renunciation of clinging to the ingrained memories and volition stored as karmic or mental energy, referred to by the Tathagata as the Five Aggregates. The Gradual Training is grounded in the understanding that liberation can only arise through the establishment of the right causes and conditions.

Mastery of the Noble Eightfold Path begins with Right View as its essential foundation. Without Right View, Right Intention cannot arise, and without Right Intention, Right Speech and the other factors of the path cannot follow.

In the Tathagata's Gradual Training, the cultivation of Right View must come first. Right View involves a deep understanding of suffering and its cause. With this understanding, one also perceives the possibility of ending suffering. This insight brings a strong conviction that the Noble Eightfold Path is the only path to completely transcend stress and suffering.

If the Four Noble Truths have not been deeply penetrated, Right View cannot be established. Without Right View, one’s intentions will lack the strength and clarity needed to renounce worldly desires, meaning the necessary causes and conditions for Right Intention will not be present. Without both Right View and Right Intention, embarking on the Gradual Training is futile, as the path requires Renunciation or Right Intention as a foundation.

In essence, the Gradual Training must be practiced in its correct sequence. If the stages are not followed properly, the causes and conditions essential for liberation will not be established.

In the same way that the Gradual Training creates the causes and conditions necessary for liberation, it begins by addressing gross afflictions and gradually progresses, step by step, toward resolving the more subtle ones. If the gross afflictions are not resolved first, one will not be able to recognize or work on the more refined ones.

It is crucial to understand that each part of the Gradual Training is cumulative and naturally transitions into the next. This means one continually develops Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration, progressing steadily toward full liberation.

However, before beginning the Gradual Training, one must already possess a foundational level of Right View, a profound understanding of the Four Noble Truths as realized by the Noble Ones.

It is not possible that one who does not delight in solitude will grasp the sign of the mind. This is not possible.

It is not possible that one who does not grasp the sign of the mind will fulfill right view. This is not possible.

It is not possible that one who does not fulfill right view will fulfill right concentration. This is not possible.

It is not possible that one who does not fulfill right concentration will abandon the fetters. This is not possible.

It is not possible that one who does not abandon the fetters will realize Nibbāna. This is not possible.

AN6.68

Since most of us cannot abandon our worldly responsibilities to live a solitary life in the wilderness or have an Arahant as a teacher, we must create comparable conditions for tranquility and clear knowing to arise and make progress along the path. One needs to create a mental oasis amidst the jungle of the man-made world so that the right conditions to develop a peaceful and imperturbable mind are established.

One must begin to lessen the mind’s constant reliance on objectification, logic, thoughts, and words. In other words, one must gradually reduce clinging to views and judgments about the good or bad of the world.

Objectification is a disease, objectification is a cancer, objectification is an arrow. Therefore, you should train yourselves: We will dwell with an awareness free of objectifications.

SN 35:207

Gradual Training Developing Higher States of Conciousness

In the modern world, many people believe that wisdom and knowledge are rooted in what can be remembered and expressed through words. However, true wisdom does not arise from words or logic but from direct insight and clear seeing.

Although words can guide us toward deeper truths, clinging solely to the words without understanding their underlying meaning prevents the development of true wisdom. This is particularly crucial when seeking to comprehend the Tathagata’s discourses.

Wisdom and liberation come from cultivating a form of knowing or clear seeing that transcends reliance on logic, language, or thought. This type of knowing is inherent in awareness itself and has been described as intuition or, in ancient times, simply as "knowing."

True knowing is the ability to perceive things as they truly are, without the distortions created by clinging to the Five Aggregates. This clinging gives rise to feelings, perceptions, thoughts, and ingrained intentions, which in turn lead to desire, aversion, and unknowing,factors that obscure clear seeing and wisdom.

To cultivate this clear knowing, one must gradually loosen attachment to the body, feelings, perceptions, thoughts, and habitual reactions. It also requires sufficient solitude to transcend conceptual thinking, creating the space for deeper insights and spontaneous wisdom to emerge naturally.

For wisdom and knowledge to arise spontaneously, one must nurture an open mind. This openness includes being receptive to the understanding that mental energy extends beyond the bounds of time and space, encompassing infinite universes. Our mind, consciousness, and memory are formed from this mental energy, which carries the karma and memories of countless past lives—not only our own but those of all beings. Certain beings, such as some Noble disciples and advanced yogis, have the ability to access memories of their past lives, while beings like the Tathagata can perceive both their own and others’ past life memories.

Since mental energy is not bound by physical limits, one must remain open to the possibility of developing the ability to "travel, see, or hear" through the mental body, unrestricted by the constraints of the physical world.

It’s important to understand that the mind is not confined to the brain or limited by the physical body. The belief that the mind is attached to or dependent on the body is a "wrong view," arising from clinging to the Form Aggregate.

As part of the mental realm, our consciousness has access to profound knowledge inherently embedded within it. However, this mental knowing is obscured by clinging to the Five Aggregates, making us largely unaware of its depth. The degree of desire, aversion, and unknowing one harbors directly determines the extent to which this wisdom is clouded or obstructed. Yet, in rare moments, it can surface as spontaneous insights, gut feelings, or flashes of clarity.

To develop this form of knowing, one must release the misconception that everything can be explained solely through scientific principles based on physical interactions. It is essential to remain open to the possibility of a mental realm. We must be willing to see ourselves as mental beings and accept that the mental body can detach from the physical one.

By letting go of attachment to the physical body, the Form Aggregate, many of the afflictions tied to the body are also released, along with a significant portion of the ignorance that clouds clear seeing.

As we detach from clinging to the remaining aggregates, deeper insights arise, leading to a profound form of knowing.

The Supramundane version of the Eightfold Path involves cultivating this clear seeing, which leads to detachment from all forms of existence and ultimately liberation from the cycle of rebirth.

Gradual Training The Mundane and Supramundane Paths

The Gradual Training requires a complete shift in how we view and interact with the world. Instead of acting from desire, aversion, or ignorance, it is based on Renunciation, letting go of these attachments—through the practice of the Gradual Training, the Noble Eightfold Path, and the Four Noble Truths.

Before beginning the Gradual Training, one should have a solid understanding of the Eightfold Path. It is crucial to recognize that there are two versions of the Eightfold Path: the Mundane and the Supramundane, or Noble Eightfold Path.

The mundane version of the Eightfold Path is intended for those who do not seek to end the cycle of rebirth but aim to improve their current and future lives by cultivating good karma.

The Noble or Supramundane version of the Eightfold Path is intended for disciples who seek liberation from the cycle of rebirth. The goal is not to accumulate good karma, but to stop generating new karma altogether. The focus is on disentangling oneself from the world and gradually ceasing the creation of karma.

This is achieved by continually detaching from the world, cultivating dispassion, relinquishment, and cessation toward desires and attachments to worldly things. A disciple no longer seeks to accumulate anything for themselves but instead focuses on letting go, recognizing the impersonal, not-self nature of the Five Aggregates and deconstructing their sense of self. This process involves surrendering anything that binds them to the "World."

For instance, instead of using Right Speech to foster deeper relationships, a disciple uses it to develop dispassion, relinquishment, and the cessation of the need for relationships altogether, unless those relationships directly help in advancing on the path to liberation.

And what, friends, is the noble truth of the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress?

Just this very noble eightfold path: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.

MN141

Developing Right View

And what is right view that is affected by taints, partaking of merit, ripening in the acquisitions?

There is what is given, what is offered, what is sacrificed, there is fruit and result of good and bad actions, there is this world, there is another world, there is mother, there is father, there are beings who are reborn spontaneously, there are in the world good and virtuous recluses and brahmins who have realized for themselves by direct knowing and declare this world and the other world.

MN117

Mundane Right View is the understanding that there is goodness in giving, merit in what is given, offered, or sacrificed, and that we should be grateful in return. It acknowledges that there are consequences to both good and bad actions, and we should be thankful to our parents for bringing us into this life.

We should be open to the possibility that there is not only this world but another world, invisible to us, where the mental body, after the death of the physical body, awaits rebirth in a new form. There are different realms of existence where devas, gods, hungry ghosts, and other beings dwell, realms that are beyond our ordinary perception. Some beings are reborn spontaneously, fully formed, in those realms. There are noble ones and yogis with mental powers who have realized this truth through direct experience and affirm that both this world and the other world are real.

Right View is letting go of the wrong view that happiness comes from chasing after sensual pleasures. Instead, it is the realization that true happiness arises from a mind free of attachment and clinging to desires.

It is the recognition that, regardless of what has happened in the past, we still have the power to shape our future through our intentions and choices. What we do in the present has consequences, whether good, bad, or neutral, and these actions will influence the future.

Right View Supramundane Right View

And what is right view that is noble, taintless, supramundane, a factor of the path?

That which is wisdom, the faculty of wisdom, the power of wisdom, the investigation-of-states enlightenment factor, right view as a path factor, in one of noble mind, taintless mind, who by developing the noble path: this is called right view that is noble, taintless, supramundane, a factor of the path.

MN117

Supramundane, or Noble Right View, is the flipping, the turning upside down, of how one sees the world.

Previously, the Five Aggregates: the body, feelings, perceptions, intentions, and thoughts, were seen as a self interacting with the outside world, a self trying to seek happiness by fulfilling desires.

Now, with Noble Right View, one sees that the self and the outside world are created in consciousness, and that by clinging to the Five Aggregates, one has, instead of obtaining happiness, entangled and bound themselves in unhappiness and suffering by chasing sense desires.

As a result, one sees that the only way to end this stress and unhappiness is to renounce this clinging by following the Eightfold Path.

Right View is seeing that the Five Aggregates are fabricated, insubstantial, and not-self, and that clinging to them causes stress and suffering. It is seeing that experience of our body, feelings, perceptions, intentions, and thoughts is fabricated in consciousness and is subject to the imperfections and corruptions of the world, shaped by past karma, as well as by past desire, aversion, and not knowing.

It is the understanding that everything we are experiencing in life is created in consciousness, based on causes and conditions, natural forces of the world and, as such, nothing that happens should be taken personally. Likewise, it is the clinging to the Five Aggregates that causes people to wrongly believe that things are happening to them, which causes them to take personally the body, feelings, perceptions, thoughts, and cognition, thus causing stress and unhappiness.

Supramundane or Noble Right View is not a belief or definition; this is because a belief prevents one from seeing true reality. Rather, it is the way one perceives the world.

A typical person assumes there is an enduring self to whom their experiences are happening, a self that manages these experiences by interacting with the external world.

In contrast, a Noble disciple has overturned this perception. They have seen through the illusion of a "self" and recognize that experience is entirely the product of the Five Aggregates. They do not take self-view as the primary view; instead, they see the Five Aggregates as the basis of all experience.

Rather than believing in a self that experiences the world, one has seen for themselves that it is the Five Aggregates that fabricate the sense of self, the Five Aggregates that create desire, aversion, and not knowing.

A Noble disciple understands that there is no experiencer who is experiencing; they have realized that the experiencer is being created in the experience by the Five Aggregates.

Therefore, they no longer see the world as experienced by a "self," but rather as there is just "experience."

A Noble disciple does not look outward for the source of suffering. Instead, they turn inward, examining their own experiences and the mental states created by the Five Aggregates.

They understand that progress on the path to liberation is the continual application of the Four Noble Truths, discerning the mind states, views, and perspectives that are constantly being fabricated.

For example, one might discern how the Five Aggregates create a sense of self in each mind state, how clinging to desires and aversions takes root, and how existence and the sense of being are fabricated.

One understands that the path forward involves recognizing increasingly subtle forms of stress and suffering inherent in these mind-created states, by continually identifying wrong views,views that involve a sense of self, greed, aversion, or delusion, and abandoning them.

The abandonment of wrong views and defilements is achieved through various practices, such as seeing clearly, restraining, skillfully using, avoiding, enduring, removing, and developing wholesome qualities.

Over time, this leads to an increasingly clear perception of reality, less obstructed by the objectifications created by the Five Aggregates, until finally, when a fully liberated person no longer holds any self-view. When a liberated person sees something, there is just the seeing.

Right View Contemplating the Four Noble Truths

In the Gradual Training, one begins by contemplating the Four Noble Truths in relation to their own life circumstances.

This is done by reflecting on one's own views, desires, and expectations from the world, until one sees the unsubstantial and not-self nature of all desires and expectations. One understands that there is nothing of any lasting substance to cling to or become passionate about. Recognizing that clinging to these views and desires causes stress and suffering, one realizes that they must be let go.

Next, one contemplates what changes must be made in their life to relinquish, gain freedom from, and become independent of these views and desires, in other words, to practice renunciation.

Finally, one must deeply contemplate and fully understand why the Eightfold Path is the only way to transform this stream of stress and suffering into a stream of liberation.

Right View Impermanence, Unsubstantial, and Unsatisfying

Then to Moggallana the wanderer, as he heard this Dhamma exposition, there arose the dustless, stainless Dhamma eye: Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation.

Mv 123

It’s not the impermanence of things in the world that is the problem; it’s our attempt to make them permanent.

It’s not the unsubstantial nature of the world that causes problems; it’s our attempt to make things substantial when they have no true substance.

It’s not that things don’t provide satisfaction; it’s our attempt to make satisfaction reliable.

Right View is the realization that we cling to the Five Aggregates, trying to find permanence, substance, and lasting satisfaction in life, even though this contradicts the natural laws. Everything that originates is also subject to cessation.

Clinging to the Five Aggregates leads us to falsely believe that the world and its objects, if only for a brief moment, have some lasting substance that can provide reliable satisfaction.

To liberate oneself, one needs to deeply understand the laws of nature: that nothing stays the same, and that whatever is subject to origination is also subject to cessation. It is our clinging to the Five Aggregates: forms, feelings, perceptions, volitional formations, and consciousness, that creates the illusion of permanence and substance.

In other words, we cling to our perceptions of things happening, even though what is perceived has already changed. In the modern world, filled with permanent structures and durable objects, this misconception of permanence and substance is greatly amplified.

Unlike in nature where causes and conditions, arising and passing away, and impermanence are clearly visible, the modern world is clouded in ignorance and unknowing. As a result, modern man fights these natural forces and tries to cling to permanence, or anything substantial.

For example:

Death is actively hidden in modern society. People often pass away in hospitals, and their bodies are kept in coffins. It's entirely possible for someone to live their entire life without ever seeing a dead body in person. People live as though they will live forever, even when death surrounds them. For example:

Fish and meat are packaged in a manner that disconnects us from the reality of consuming dead animals. We fail to acknowledge that these neatly packaged deceased creatures are gradually decomposing within their wrappings. Nor do we reflect on the fact that each animal had a birth, a life, and ultimately met its end.

The point is not to make a judgment on whether eating meat is good or bad. Instead, it's about understanding that, due to our attachment to perceptions, we often fail to realize that death permeates every aspect of life and that everything is constantly changing. Instead of acknowledging this truth, we tend to cling to life and fear death, rather than recognizing it as a natural and valuable process.

In the same way, people are obsessed with preserving various aspects of life, such as youth, beauty, wealth, health, power, and traditions. This leads to stress and dissatisfaction because nothing in life can be preserved through clinging to perceived "attributes."

To liberate oneself from "Our World," one must contemplate every aspect of one's existence, including desires, views, and habits, and recognize their insubstantial, unsatisfactory, and undependable nature, until one has developed complete dispassion for them, understanding that there is nothing of any substance to be passionate about or cling to.

For example, understanding death allows us to live free from the fear of it and makes us more alive, no longer wasting time on senseless, delusional activities.

Ultimately, when we consider all the suffering experienced in past and future lives, it becomes clear that anything we cling to in this life only perpetuates further suffering. The only path to freedom lies in ending the cycle of rebirth.

Right View The Not-self Nature of the World

The process of establishing Right View also involves seeing through the fabrication of a "self", how we cling to and personalize existence.

Most people take for granted that there is a self that experiences the world. Right View is recognizing that it is clinging to the ingrained memories and perceptions created by the Five Aggregates that has fabricated the sense of self.

Renunciation is the deconstruction of the fabricated self by understanding that, since everything in this world is based on causes and conditions, ever-changing, and the result of natural forces, none of the ingrained memories or experiences created by the Five Aggregates can be taken personally as self.

One realizes that there is no independent, continuous self operating in the background. What appears to be a self is, in truth, a series of interconnected causes and conditions that create the false impression of a continuous entity or self. When the mind fully realizes this, it lets go of viewing the world from the perspective of a "self" and instead sees that there is only what is experienced.

When he attends improperly in this way, one of six views arises in him.

The view I have a self arises in him as true and established, or the view I have no self arises in him as true and established, or the view I perceive self with self arises in him as true and established, or the view I perceive not-self with self arises in him as true and established, or the view I perceive self with not-self arises in him as true and established, or else he has some such view as this:

It is this self of mine that speaks and feels and experiences here and there the result of good and bad actions; but this self of mine is permanent, everlasting, eternal, not subject to change, and it will endure as long as eternity.

This speculative view is called a thicket of views, a wilderness of views, a contortion of views, a writhing of views, a fetter of views.

MN2

One should not believe there is no self or that there is a self, as both of these views are extremes and are not useful. For example, if one believes that there is no self, it prevents them from doing the work of seeing through and abandoning fabricated identity views.

It is more useful to examine each experience or mind state for stress and unhappiness, which indicate that the mind is taking the experience or circumstance personally. The mind is clinging to a desire for a specific outcome and has not adequately recognized the causes and conditions that shape the experience or circumstances.

Instead, one should see through the created sense of self in the experience, perceive the experience as not-self, not to be taken personally, and detach from clinging to desires or expectations.

How does personality view not come to be, lady?

Here, friend Visakha, a well-taught noble disciple, who has regard for noble ones and is skilled and disciplined in their Dhamma, who has regard for true men and is skilled and disciplined in their Dhamma, does not regard form as self, or self as possessing form, or form as in self, or self as in form.

He does not regard feeling... perception... formations... consciousness as self, or self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in self, or self as in consciousness. This is how personality view does not come to be.

MN44

As clear "knowing" becomes established, one realizes that what was assumed to be the self is actually unsubstantial, a result of clinging to the Five Aggregates.

Renunciation arises from the understanding that the outcome of all actions is determined by causes and conditions rather than by our desires or an ego's control over the situation in the present moment.

For example, an athlete doesn't instantly become a "good" athlete merely by desiring it or trying hard; it happens because of natural ability, training, and practice, which together result in a good athlete. At the time of competition, a good athlete lets go of any thoughts or worries and simply competes. If adjustments need to be made, they happen naturally, based on past experience. Any sense of an "ego" trying to manage or control the situation only hinders winning the competition.

In other words, if one becomes identified with the process or takes results personally, this is clinging. Instead, one pays full attention to creating the causes and conditions and takes the necessary steps toward becoming a better athlete.

Simply put, if one has trained properly, is better than other athletes, and has a clear mind unobstructed by thoughts, then the causes and conditions are in place for winning the competition.

Renunciation requires letting go of attachment to any outcome or expectations and instead focusing on developing the right causes and conditions for liberation. Renunciation is the letting go of the "I," the sense of "me," the sense of "this is mine," or "this is myself," and seeing everything as an impersonal process.

However, until one is fully liberated, one will still experience conceit due to the restlessness created by karmic forces, which manifests as the search for stability in a world where nothing can provide a satisfying, stable, or permanent existence, except liberation itself.

Right Intention

And what is right intention that is affected by taints, partaking of merit, ripening in the acquisitions?

Intention of renunciation, intention of non-ill will, intention of non-harming

MN117

And what is right intention that is noble, taintless, supramundane, a factor of the path?

That which is in one of noble mind, taintless mind, who by developing the noble path, intention, thought, conception, mental concomitants, verbal formation

MN117

Liberation is disentanglement, unbinding from the "world", the Five Aggregates.

Right Intention is looking at one's intentions and the resulting thoughts, speech, and actions, to see if they are unwholesome and entangle oneself to the "world" or are wholesome and lead to liberation. If an intention is unwholesome, one establishes the strong resolve or intention to let go of the unwholesome thought, speech, or action and to replace it with a wholesome one.

Intention is the forerunner of all actions, it shapes how we think, speak, and act. By cultivating wholesome intentions, one purifies the mind and moves closer to liberation.

Just as past unwholesome intentions create unwholesome karmic actions that ripen in the present, leading to stress and unhappiness, one can turn this stream into the path of liberation by letting go of all unskillful intentions and replacing them with Right Intention: the single-minded, continual intention for renunciation from sense desires, desire for wanting to be, and any entanglement with the world by developing freedom from ill will and harmlessness.

Based on Right View, once Right Intention for Renunciation is fully established and continually reinforced, Right Intention acts as the 'power', the catalyst for all future actions on the path. This is because the mind is no longer scattered among its many attachments and entanglements, that greatly weaken effort and cause stress and suffering. Single-minded Right Intention provides a joy that enables effortless motivation to continue the practice. Without Right Intention for renunciation of the Five Aggregates, liberation is not possible.

Renunciation and letting go are based on the understanding that intention is the "power" behind one's actions. Once single-minded Right Intention is in place, and one understands that success is based on establishing the right causes and conditions, the mind will naturally find a way to bring about the intention naturally.

Wrong intention is intention guided by desires and expecting a specific outcome. The moment one starts expecting a certain outcome, this brings stress and anxiety and clouds clear seeing. Instead of clearly seeing causes and conditions, one is guided by greed and aversion, which leads to a wrong outcome.

In reality, it is the mistaken attribution of desires and results to a "self" and the persistent compulsion to take personally and react to the present moment that primarily causes stress and unhappiness in one's life. Instead, one should have Right View and the Right Intention to develop the causes and conditions for liberation. In other words, to develop wholesome thoughts, speech and actions free from desire and expectations.

Finally, we must remember that Right Intention depends on having faith in the Tathagata's teachings as one of the essential causes and conditions necessary to achieve liberation. Essential causes and conditions also include hearing or reading the true Dhamma, appropriate attention, and practicing, realizing for oneself, to gain knowledge and understanding leading to liberation.

I discerned that thinking imbued with renunciation has arisen in me; and that leads neither to my own affliction, nor to the affliction of others, nor to the affliction of both.

It fosters discernment, promotes lack of vexation, & leads to unbinding

MN19

And where do these unwholesome intentions cease without remainder? Their cessation too has been declared. Here a disciple, having secluded himself from sensual pleasures… enters and dwells in the first jhana; there these unwholesome intentions cease without remainder.

MN78

Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood

When one has the Right View that nothing in this world is substantial, inherently satisfying, or worth getting entangled with, and is imbued with Right Intention, the single, minded intention to transform all past actions and intentions into Right Intentions, this manifests as Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood.

In the Gradual Training, the purpose of Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood is to untangle oneself from the world in a wholesome way. It is not to develop better, deeper relationships.

It involves developing the Right View that everyone's behaviors or personalities, including our own perceptions, views, thoughts, and actions, are based on Karma—the past conditions that have shaped our identities as a result of past desire, aversion, and unknowing.

One understands and interacts with people in the same way one understands and interacts with forces of nature. People become who they are based on past conditions and circumstances: family, society, religion, language, peer pressure, institutions, social media, advertising, and life experiences. These factors shape how they act and respond in the present.

One recognizes that, due to past stress and unhappiness, people develop unwholesome behaviors and habits as coping mechanisms to deal with underlying distress.

Much like storms in nature, when stress builds up, it is released through unwholesome behaviors, such as anger, greed, selfishness, lying, harsh speech, dishonesty, sexual misconduct, intoxication, or even physical harm.

With this understanding, one cultivates the Right View, recognizing that relationships are ultimately impermanent, not-self, and conditioned in nature, the result of causes and conditions. Consequently, one sets the Right Intention to develop equanimity, remain undisturbed, to maintain balance, to avoid overreacting to others' unwholesome behaviors. Thus, one refrains from judging others; instead, such behaviors are met with understanding, goodwill, and compassion.

As many forms of unwholesome behaviors can only be brought out and addressed when we interact with others, the practice of Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood allows us not to get entangled in the storms of human existence. It is our protection when interacting with others. It is the path for creating an imperturbable and peaceful mind, leading to liberation.

It is also the best way to judge our progress along the path.

Right Effort

One of the goals of the gradual training is to develop a tranquil, unobstructed, unwavering mind that remains undisturbed by cravings and emotions and doesn't get lost in thoughts, desire, or aversion.

Due to ingrained behavioral patterns and inner restlessness, the mind needs to be "tamed" to break its habit of constantly grasping and clinging to the "world."

Using our analogy of the "good athlete," once the mind is tamed through practice, it can perform tasks effectively without being disrupted by emotions, getting lost in thoughts, or the excessive need to judge or control the present.

Having Right View is the forerunner, "Right Intention" serves as the driving force behind actions, while "Right Effort" is developing the right causes and conditions for liberation. One develops the right causes and conditions by practicing the Four Right Efforts, which involve abandoning unwholesome mind states and developing wholesome ones. This leads to a clear mind devoid of distractions, suitable for concentration and insight or for doing any task effectively.

Right Mindfulness

Right Intention is the "power" and serves as the driving force behind Renunciation, while Right Effort is developing the causes and conditions for a mind that is clear and not lost in thoughts.

Mindfulness is the "knowing" that discerns causes and conditions, desire and aversion, and how we take the Five Aggregates personally.

Normally, we perceive ourselves in a three-dimensional world as separate from objects in the world, what the Tathagata calls "fabrications." Right Mindfulness is when mindfulness is established in memory at the Five Aggregates and not the objects of "Our World," the fabrications of the mind.

When awareness is fully established in awareness, at the Five Aggregates, in memory, what the Tathagata calls the Four Abidings of Mindfulness—there is discernment, what is called "knowing." This is Right Mindfulness.

Instead of mindfulness being established at the objects of the "world," which causes new fabrications to cloud clear "knowing," one abides in memory, at the Five Aggregates, aware of the mind and body, keeping track of changes as they happen, seeing causes and conditions as they arise and pass away.

Discernment, intuition, or "knowing" arises when mindfulness is sufficiently free from objectification, judgments, logic, words, or thoughts for the mind to see causes and conditions clearly. As a result, the mind becomes dispassionate when it sees that all things pass away naturally, and it is our clinging to them that causes the propagation of unwholesome mind states and actions, which results in stress and unhappiness.

Right Concentration

Right Mindfulness refers to mindfulness fully abiding within the Five Aggregates, or memory. When Right Mindfulness is fully established, it directly leads to Right Concentration.

Concentration can be better understood as having a collected or single-minded attention.

Usually, people's minds are scattered, occupied with numerous processes, thoughts, intentions, feelings, and perceptions, or "formations." Attention is divided among various lingering thought processes, some of which remain beneath the surface, ready to emerge under the right conditions.

Concentration involves releasing all these scattered mental processes or formations and consolidating attention into a unified, single-minded process, imbued with Right Intention, for the purpose of "knowing."

In the context of mindfulness of the body, this entails collecting all attention and directing it to the memory, awareness of the body, keeping track of changes in real time, without letting any stray mental processes or formations obstruct the singleness of mind.

Simply put, concentration is letting go of all formations and abiding in memory so that clear knowing can arise.

The Gradual Training Starts with Right View and Right Intention

Although one can begin certain practices of the Gradual Training, such as practicing Sila (ethical conduct) and guarding the sense doors, the primary focus should be on developing Right View and Right Intention. This involves gaining a deep understanding of the Four Noble Truths and recognizing the unsatisfactory, impermanent, and not-self nature of sense desires and attachment to the Five Aggregates.

Before truly embarking on the Gradual Training, it is essential to be fully committed to Renunciation, supported by a clear understanding of why the Eightfold Path is the only way to achieve liberation.

After one has obtained Right View and imbued one's thoughts with renunciation or Right Intention, and when one has penetrated the Dharma and Eightfold Path practiced by the nobles, gaining unshakable faith in the Tathagata's teachings, this creates the causes and conditions for one to enter the stream (Sotāpatti-magga). One's thoughts and actions are now single-mindedly focused on liberation.

In a person of right view, right intention comes into being. In a person of right intention, right speech. In a person of right speech, right action. In a person of right action, right livelihood. In a person of right livelihood, right effort. In a person of right effort, right mindfulness. In a person of right mindfulness, right concentration. In a person of right concentration, right knowing. In a person of right knowing, right release.

AN 10.103

A virtuous disciple should properly attend to these five aggregates subject to clinging as impermanent, suffering, a disease, a boil, a dart, a misfortune, an affliction, alien, disintegrating, empty, and not-self.

There is a possibility that a virtuous disciple, properly attending to these five aggregates subject to clinging in this way, may realize the fruit of stream-entry.

SN22.122

How one might know if they are a stream enterer:

Abiding in Renunciation

Here, disciples, I breathe in mindful, I breathe out mindful. When I breathe in long, I know. When I breathe out long, I know …

I will breathe in experiencing relinquishment (letting go), I will breathe out experiencing relinquishment (letting go).

For if anyone should be rightly said to dwell in the noble dwelling, the divine dwelling, the Tathāgatas dwelling, it is when dwelling in mindfulness of breathing.

SN54.12

Learning to abide in renunciation before starting the gradual training can bring joy and provide confidence, motivation, and the right frame of mind to begin the practice.

Abiding in renunciation is the continual letting go of craving and clinging to the Five Aggregates. Abiding fully in body and mind, using the breath, one continually lets go of everything and experiences the continual release:

• Letting go of any attachment to the body.
• Letting go of any feeling, perception, sensation, and body tension that arises, anything that can be felt in the body.
• Letting go of any tension or tightness in the mind and awareness.
• Letting go of any intentions, desires, or judgments for anything to be different.
• Letting go of your sense of self, of wanting to do something or be anywhere.

It is staying aware in real time, abiding in body and mind, and continually letting go of everything.

When abiding in renunciation, there's no need to enter a meditative state or "trance"; simply keep your eyes open as usual, staying alert and awake.

When breathing, you can also let go with the outbreath, making the outbreath longer. When breathing in, take in any good feelings and perceptions from the release of stress.

In the beginning, it might be helpful to visualize letting go by directing what is being released to a spot outside the body, such as through the top of your head, the bottom of your feet, your hands, or wherever it feels appropriate.

When causes and conditions are in place, namely that one's mind is undisturbed and the intention is single-mindedly on renunciation—one should start to experience joy and release.

On the other hand, having incessant thoughts at the beginning of the gradual path is normal. One will need to emphasize the practice of Sila (virtue) and Guarding the Sense Doors to attain a sufficient level of peacefulness to experience the joy of renunciation.