Discussion on the Middle (Path) Doctrine: Majja Sutra

When Tathagata was residing at Issipathanarama in Benares (Varanasi), one day after their usual meal round, a group of monks were having a discussion on a dhamma previously preached by the enlightened one clarifying the Middle Path to a youth called Tissa Metteyya. One monk started the discussion making reference to the Buddha’s exact words to the youth, seeking clarification from the other monks what precisely has Buddha referred to here in terms of the two extremes.

‘So ubh’ante vidithvana – Majjhe manta na lippathi

Tam brumi maha purusothi – so’dha sibbhani maccaga ti’

‘The one who sees the two extremes and does not adhere to the middle either  to relinquish braiding, is called a great man.’

(Majjhe Sutra - Anguttara Nikaya) 

He questioned how one could have an inclination to an extreme and how one could be in the middle practicing the middle path. The monk further queried, how could that person avoid braiding (sibbhani) by associating the middle and what is meant by braiding?

One elderly monk clarified the Buddha’s teaching as follows, “contact is one extreme and the cause for contact is the other, cessation is the middle. Sibbhani is a name for craving which means braiding or stitching.” He further noted that craving being the cause for suffering braids one to the existences. “The one who discard craving by not leaning to the extreme of contact or the cause for contact but by being in the middle, i.e the state of cessation of contact, is called the Great Man (Mahapurisa- an Enlightened person),” the monk clarified.

 Another monk stood up and said, “as I understand, the Buddha’s teaching refers to the following, ‘the past is one extreme, the future is the other and the present is the middle’. If one embraces the Past and dwells in the past that is one extreme and the one who dwells in the Future that is the other extreme. Present is the middle, however, one should not stick to the present either. The one who practices in this manner will discard ‘braiding’ or craving and hence will be called a great man.”

“Well, as I have heard the Tathagata meant that the internal sense bases are one extreme while externals sense bases are the other, the consciousness is the middle”, said the third monk joining the conversation. “The one who removes craving by avoiding the above two extremes is said to be the great man”, he added.

Likewise three more monks presented their views on the topic, one said, the Matter is one extreme and the Name is the other while the consciousness being the middle and another thought that the Happiness is one extreme the Grief the other and the equanimity is the middle. The opinion of the last monk was that the Personality (Sakkaya) is one extreme and the Personality view (Sakkaya Ditti) is the other where cessation (of Personality view) is the middle. As all these monks had different views on what Buddha referred to as the middle path, they decided to meet the Tathagata himself for clarification.

Having listened to all of them the Buddha was delighted and expressed his agreement with everyone, they all being correct, however, he clarified that when he preached this dhamma to the youth Tissa Metteiya  on a previous occasion he particularly referred to ‘Contact’ and ‘Cause for Contact’. The Buddha has further said that the interpretations from all monks in this instance are also correct in terms of the middle path, as the path to remove craving (referred to as braiding or sibbani in this instance) and to end suffering.

By knowing any of the above interpretations one can relate to the true meaning of the Middle path disclosed by the blessed one. If one practices to keep to the middle avoiding extremes in terms of any one of the methods discussed above he will not be inclined to any of the extremes explained through other methods.

The one who avoids extremes of Contact and the Cause for contact and keeps to the middle (the state of cessation) will inevitably avoid the extremes of the Past or Future, Happiness or Grief, Name and Matter and so on. The person who practices the middle path through any method mentioned above will avoid inclination to any form of extremes explained through other methods.

“The above discussion of the two extremes primarily relate to two of the Four Noble Truths revealed by the Buddha, the Truth of Suffering and the Truth of Cause for Suffering. Where these two extremes exist the middle path cannot exist. For example the extreme of contact is the Truth of Suffering and the extreme of cause for contact is the Cause for Suffering”, explains Venerable Sudassana Thero.

The one who discards the extremes of both suffering and cause for suffering accomplishes cessation and therefore the path to liberate from suffering (by removing craving - the cause for suffering) is shown as the middle path. In other words the Noble practice is to avoid the two extremes, suffering and cause for suffering,

Let us examine what the two extremes of contact and the cause for contact are and the reason to identify the cessation of contact as the middle?

The Extreme of Contact and Cause for Contact 

There are six types of contact.

Eye contact

Ear contact

Nose contact,

Tongue contact

Body contact and

Mind contact.

For the contact to arise three factors should come together, for example, due to combination of the eye, visible object and the eye consciousness, the eye contact arises. When a contact occurs it results in creating sensation, perception followed by formation (or determination) which are said to be endowed with contact. The state of seeing, i.e. when the three factors, eye, visible object and the eye consciousness come together to form sensation, is called the Contact extreme. Thereafter, generating defilements in form of greed, ill will and delusion (as pleasant, unpleasant or neutral) on what is seen and knowing it distinctively is the other or the extreme of Cause for Contact.

In other words the state of seeing and knowing what is seen are the two extremes and hence, the one who is inclined to either of the above is not following the noble path.

As described there are two states in the act of seeing an object, the state of seeing and the state of knowing what is seen. We all see the same object but each one of us may know it differently. For example one person may have a liking to a thing or a certain person while the other may hate that thing or the person. The same person will be seen as mother, sister, daughter and wife by different people.

The one who leans to the state of seeing is said to be in the extreme of Contact. If he responds to what is seen through thought, speech, or action, in accordance with his liking and disliking, he is in the state that ensures future arising of contact (extreme of Cause for Contact).

A toddler in a cradle sees the colourful mobile hanging above him but he wouldn’t know what it is. Though he sees the colour variations say as, red, blue or yellow, he wouldn’t know what they are known as. This is the state of noting without knowing any descriptions, the state of contact. The toddler dwells in the contact extreme and what an adult primarily experiences at the state of seeing or hearing is no different to that of the toddler. However, the latter proceeds to the other extreme forming defilements and developing a cause to experience a contact again. It should be noted that though the toddler’s experience ends in the first extreme he is still not free from the ability to form defilements as he matures, since ignorance is present as a latent tendency (Anusaya).

When we are said to be dwelling in the contact extreme, the mind is not defiled similar to that of the toddler, however, both are still considered to be in an extreme as the ignorance is still present latently. When the grown up child eventually identifies the colours of red, blue yellow etc. it’s the state of determination or formation and responding through thought, speech and action, the opposite extreme. Defilements are now developed in form of attachment, aversion or delusion. Now we note that the state of causing contact is at this extreme since kamma is formed here to cause Relink-Cognition. We also recognise that our attachment or aversion is on our own mental formations which occur at the state of developing the Cause for Contact rather than on people or things that we encounter at the state of Contact. Say we develop a lustful affection upon a person and contemplate on him or her over and over again making it a habit, we tend to remember the person based on that habit when we see him or her again, even on a picture. This occurrence is identified as the function of cankers, or depravities (Asrava) in teachings. When we are ignorant of this phenomenon, we begin to love a person or to hate a person that seem to exist externally, in accordance with those cankers we have developed (as habits). When the Contact extreme is not understood as it is, one cannot refrain from moving to the next extreme, the state of creating Cause for Contact.

Elephants love to eat twigs of a Mesquite tree, called Katu-Andara in Sri Lanka. Mesquite tree has sharp thorns in abundance which can make greater harm to the man but not to the elephant. When the elephant eats the Mesquite twigs the thorns pierce its gums causing bleeding. The animal enjoys eating the thorny Mesquite twigs not knowing that it is the taste of his own blood that he enjoys and hence reaches out to eat more and more.

Similarly, not knowing the unwholesome consequences of the Contact we interact with things or persons that we have grasped with desire. We are ignorant that our attachment is to our own mental fabrications rather than to an external object, similar to the elephant who is deceived of the taste of his own blood as that which belongs to Mesquite twigs.

As the two extremes are not known the elephant returns to the contact extreme, munching the twigs and thereafter enjoying the taste which is the other extreme. It's craving for the taste of blood makes the elephant to reach out again to the Mesquite tree. There is no end to this cycle.

Keeping to the Middle (path) avoiding extremes does not mean going into seclusion escaping from the sensual contacts. The noble practice is to live like the rest of the world do but being aware of the unwholesomeness in leaning to the extremes.

The Deer sees presence of water in the Mirage and so do we, which is the contact extreme. Due to lack of wisdom the Deer runs towards the mirage to quench its thrust while we don’t as we are aware of the phenomenon that the appearance of water is created by the eye and the surrounding conditions. Not knowing the truth the Deer is deluded but we aren’t due to our wisdom in this instance. In the same way, if we can develop our awareness that what is seen is different to what exists out there, in our day to day life, we can experience what the others experience in the world but not being deluded as the others do in such instances. This is known as living in the world while being aware of the causality. In summary it is the realisation of the distinction between sense experiences and what arises in the mind in relation to those experiences, the noble practice of not combining the two together.

The person who avoids the two extremes and follow the middle path discards craving and such person is called ‘Maha Purisa’.

The above being the explanation of the middle path through Contact and the Cause for Contact let us examine how this Dhamma applies to the other methods too.

The Extremes of the Past & the Future

As raised by one monk who participated in the discussion, Past is considered as one extreme and the Future as the other while present being the Middle. Our experiences through contact (sense) bases occur in the present. Our thinking of the past or future is strictly at mind consciousness level.

Definition of the present is different in terms of the mundane (Laukika) state to that of the super-mundane (lokottara) state. Though it is called the state of equanimity, ignorance is present as a latent tendency in the former state, at each sense experience, say seeing, hearing etc., hence we do not see beyond the sense bases. The equanimity observed with insight, in the latter state, is different as one sees beyond sense bases and hence there is no adherence to the present. 

Six sense bases arise from Name-Matter which are developed by re-link consciousness that come to be due to past kamma & craving caused by ignorance. Therefore, sense bases are said to be conditioned by past ignorance, kamma and craving. The act of seeing is associating the causes from the Past and responding by thought, speech and action known as the Future extreme. Further, not seeing beyond the form, holding on to eye, is noted as associating the past as well (same with all other senses). Also noteworthy as associating the past are what we experience, such as things that we saw or people we have met in the past. This is due to the notion of existence and presence that characterises the world but noted as an extreme.

Thinking of future action to see someone or to get something is leniency to the future extreme through the mind sense base forming attachment, aversion and delusion in the mind, to cause future existence. Responses through thought, speech and action with greed or ill will for what was experienced, relate to the future extreme.

The past extreme is responsible for creating the future extreme, similar to the previous explanations through other methods e.g. contact extreme and the cause for contact extreme.

A frame of mind beyond the world is necessary to understand how to refrain from dwelling in form (past) and not to respond with likes and dislikes (future). Such a frame of mind can only be achieved in the Buddhist way.

One can train himself to see beyond form while associating the eye. Such person will not dwell in the form extreme & will inevitably avoid the future extreme. He or she will see things in the same way as the worldly beings do but see beyond form. To him or her what is seen is one thing but what exists externally is another, as discussed in the mirage example.

Though the Deer grasps the mirage seen as water the man has the wisdom to see beyond and not to dwell in the visible form. Knowing what is seen is not there and things seen do not exist (before or after the act of seeing) is discarding the past extreme (and therefore the future extreme). The one that associate the world in a manner where he will not leave anything behind, any form of trace that would cause future cognition, is said to be the ‘Great Man’. 

 The Extremes of Happiness and Sorrow

The script refers to five forms of happiness arising from the, eye, ear, nose, tongue and body sense bases as well as in the mind (Somanassa - through mind contact :Mano Sampassa). Similarly, it refers to five forms of sorrow or grief that arise from the five sense bases, eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and in the mind (Domanassa - through mind contact: Mano Sampassa)

Equanimity or Adukkhama Sukha is recognised as the intermediate or middle feeling in respect of the above feelings. However, this isn't the middle that is referred to in teachings (in respect of the Noble Path) as it is not unique to Buddhist practice. The Middle path preached by the Buddha is not just observing equanimity which even the non-Buddhists practice. What lacks in that practice is that the ignorance is not removed.  

As lay people we constantly associate greed, hatred and delusion even though they are not clearly evident in our thoughts, speech and actions. Though we can refrain from greed and hatred we cannot remove ignorance that is present as a latent tendency (Anusaya) and hence we are ‘not free from Mara’ the Tathagata has said.

In addition to his advice to avoid the two extremes of feeling, the Buddha went on to stress that one should take necessary care not to adhere to the middle either, Majje mantha na lippathi.

The presence of happiness and grief themselves are not extremes but it is our leniency and attachment to them that was rejected by the Enlightened One as extremes. Leniency to equanimity is also categorised under the extreme of happiness since People find comfort in equanimity, as a state of relief from suffering, however, it is said they are still not free from delusion (moha).The nature of worldly existence is that beings hold onto happiness, grief or equanimity, being subject to the ‘Eight Laws Relating to the Vicissitude of Life’ (Ashta Loka Dharma), Liberation is only achieved by moving beyond the worldly existences, becoming lokottara.

Understanding the causality of both happiness and grief helps one to overcome his or her obsession to be inclined to either of the two extremes. When one learns the unwholesome consequences of leaning to Happiness and Grief he will not be attracted to them, hence, will seek equanimity. However, he needs to be aware of the conditionality of the state of equanimity and observe equanimity within equanimity so that he will not adhere to it. The one who discards craving by practicing in such a manner avoiding the two extremes and not adhering to the middle is called the Great Man.

The Extremes of Name and Matter or Nama & Rupa

In Buddhist teachings Name (Nama) are defined as contact, sensation, perception, Intention and attention. Matter (Rupa - visible, audible etc.) is said to be formed by the Four Great Elements and those forms that appear due to the presence of Four Great Elements. The name and matter are said to be interdependent.

Contacts through five senses (with external objects) give rise to sensations experienced as pleasant, unpleasant or neutral. Attachment to such sensations through contact due to five senses is considered as leniency to Matter (or Form) extreme. Pleasant, unpleasant or neutral feeling experienced through the mind is due to association of the mind sense base. When what is thought becomes reality, i.e. accepting the mental object as a thing or person that exists, it’s the name extreme which is also referred to as the extreme of cause for suffering. The matter extreme is considered as the extreme of suffering and hence the relief is said to be in the middle, which, in this explanation is noted as the state of consciousness. Such state of mind is noted as the mind that is free from any clinging.

When there aren’t any mental impressions of external objects (visible, audible etc.)  and thus what occurs in mind does not become reality, one realises that nothing exists externally. This is the knowledge that, what occurs in mind ceases from within, as the middle. Attachment to either extreme makes one prone to ‘sibbani’ (braiding).

The one who associate the mind without leaning to the extremes of Name or Matter is known as the Great Man.

The Extremes of External Sense Bases and internal Sense Bases

Seeing form and leniency to see form (hear sound, inhale odour etc.) is known as inclination to the external sense bases. When one sees a visible object, experiencing as pleasant , unpleasant or neutral,  his or her mind is engaged in that act  and hence is said to be attached to an external object. Similarly when one hears a sound and listen to it attentively, experiencing it as pleasant, unpleasant or neutral, he is said to be attached to an external object. The same applies to other sense experiences including the mind. This is the nature in the world of associating form, whether it is a visible, audible or otherwise, known as the extreme of external sense bases. In this process even if one decide to contemplate on impermanence, unwholesomeness etc. of the object being experienced he or she is said to be still in the extreme of external sense bases not being free from the ‘Form’ (visible, audible etc.).

To experience external sense bases we have six internal sense bases. The feeling of presence of an eye, an ear or a nose etc. that is engaged in the acts of seeing, hearing, inhaling etc. is said to be the extreme of inner sense bases. The one with the notion of possessing senses that exist constantly is not free from the extreme of internal sense bases.

The Buddha has preached that the eye is invisible, internal and being non-existent it arises and ceases without any remainder. He further said that the eye arises when the conditions for the occurrence of seeing come together and ceases completely when the conditions cease to exist. Therefore, the eye is said to be subject to causality and does not belong to a person, the same applies to the other internal sense bases. The worldly beings with no knowledge of this phenomenon believe on senses that exist constantly and hence are in the extreme of internal sense bases.

The one that grasps the sense bases cannot avoid the resultant feelings, creating defilements of greed, ill will and delusion that form part of the process.

Moving beyond forms that we grasp as things that exist externally is vital to be free from the extreme of external sense bases and release from the extreme of internal sense bases is considered as being detached from internal sense bases, eye, ear, nose etc. Seeing, hearing etc. in the same way as the worldly beings see or hear but  with the knowledge that that what is seen (or heard) is not what exists externally and what exists externally cannot be seen (or heard) is the vision that has to be developed. ‘Vidharshana’ (Insight) is defined as the ability to see (or hear, smell etc.) in a superior manner than the lay people. Here when a person sees an external object he sees the same object that the others see. Even though his thoughts on that object are wholesome (unlike those of the others who see the same object), what he sees is no different to the others. Contemplating differently on a form that others also experience is not considered as seeing Insights. The difference noted here is that his or her thoughts will be wholesome while the thoughts of others are unwholesome (with greed, ill will and delusion). As a consequence one will gain merits to be born in a higher realm while the other will be borne in a lower realm having gained demerits.

In the mirage example, the Deer and the man both see with the eyes that has arisen due to previous kamma, both sees water where the mirage is, however, while the Deer believes that what is seen (water) is there, the man who also sees the presence of water is not deceived as the Deer, owing to his wisdom in this instance. The latter knows that what is seen is not there but is created due to conditions. This is considered as seeing with insights or Vidharshana which is beyond the vision of the animal. In this instance the man’s mind is free from developing greed, ill will or delusion compared to that of the Deer.

The person with a mind that will not grasp both extremes of internal or external sense bases but stay in the middle without adhering to it either is the Great Man.

Extremes of Personality & Cause for Personality

‘Personality’ or Sakkaya is also defined as the five clinging aggregates; it’s the state of arising of eye consciousness, ear consciousness & nose consciousness etc. It is the state of noting as, a visual object is seen, a sound is heard etc,, yet not knowing with descriptions and is identified as the ‘personality’ or sakkaya extreme. This is called the five clinging aggregates (sakkaya) extreme as the aggregates that arise favour clinging and are susceptible to forming depravities (keles). The extreme of cause for ‘Personality’ or the state where craving comes into play is the extreme where defilements are formed.

Worldly existences, either in Sensual word, Material World or In-Material World, belong to these two extremes. The mind that associate any of these three existences is associating the two extremes. Craving for the five clinging aggregates is the Cause for sakkaya and hence it drags one to Cause for Personality extreme. No one in the world is free from either of the two extremes as one extreme leads to the other.

In terms of a Thought Process, Cakku dwarawarjana - the state of eye consciousness, is the extreme of Personality, at the completion of the thought process, the Javana state, is the extreme of Cause for ‘Personality’. There for the two extremes are identified as the beginning and the end of a thought process.

Would there be cessation within the state of personality - at the state of seeing? Can we see impermanence, suffering and non-self at this state and seek liberation? The answer according to Buddhist teachings is no, as the presence of an ‘object’ is already noted and then contemplated upon. It is a wholesome act, however, and will bestow merits compared to the demerits produced by those who contemplate on the same object with greed or ill will. Both are equal in terms of not knowing beyond the personality extreme.

Cessation is something beyond the worldly thinking.

If we can refrain from extremes of personality and Cause for Personality it is the path to cessation. The one on the path can be in the world knowing both extremes but the one in extremes won’t see the path. When one ceases the personality extreme he ceases the extreme of the Cause for Personality as well.

The path is to associate objects that the worldly beings associate but differently. The difference is that while in the two extremes one will hold onto the form, when associating objects, whereas the other who tread on the middle path will refrain from getting caught up with the form though he associates it as well.

The vital factor is to see objects exactly as a worldly being see. A Deer believes that the appearance of water in the mirage is real. It believes that what is seen is what exists out there. However, we know that what appears to be water does not exist but is an illusion occurring in the mind and hence have the wisdom in this instance that what is seen is not what really exists. The sudden thought that may come in to our mind about the presence of water vanishes immediately as we know it is not real. This is the mind frame that we need to develop to remove the personality extreme. 

Associating form, visible, audible etc. without grasping, having a mind frame similar to that we have in the mirage experience - moving beyond the form, abandons personality extreme. The one who sees beyond form is free from defilements (greed or aversion) and hence removes craving, the Cause for Personality. The one who removes both extremes in this manner is called the Great Man.