About the Four Noble Truths (Caturarya Satyaya)

The nature of arising and ceasing of aggregates is a form of cause and cessation but not in the sense of the Truths of cause for suffering and Truth of cessation of suffering.

First, we need to distinguish between suffering and the Truth of suffering, cause for suffering and the Truth of cause for suffering, cessation and Truth of Cessation and so on 

as illuminated in Abhidarma.

Suffering falls within the Truth of suffering but the Truth of suffering is not just suffering. The truth of Suffering relates to everything that brings about suffering, which include possessions and loved ones that cause becoming, decay, death, grief, despair, lamentation etc. (in short the clinging aggregates). Bodily pains and mental stresses are direct forms of suffering hence are different to suffering caused by possessions and loved ones. The latter falls under the Truth of suffering as they bring about grief or despair in the mind. Aggregates are not suffering but the truth of Suffering as they bring about suffering.

In the realms above sensual existences, say Material or Immaterial realms there is no suffering, it is said, but still being clinging aggregates they are not free from the Truth of suffering. As long as one is destined to decay and death he is subjected to the Truth of suffering. This continues until he sees the insights of the suffering and liberate from the three existences.

Is all that is arising, the Truth of cause for suffering?

Anything other than craving, which is the cause for suffering, is not Truth of cause for suffering. For instance Four Nutriments are causes themselves ,i.e. edible foods causes  form, contact forms sensations, perceptions and formations and so on,  however, they are not Truth of cause for suffering as there are no defilements involved. The above are known as phenomena (Dhamma).

In the process of seeing, visible matter and the eye causes eye consciousness, the three together forms eye contact however these are not Truth of cause for suffering but are also considered as dhammas. Craving is both the cause for suffering and Truth of cause for suffering as it is the direct causes for suffering.

Hence it is said, all that are arising are not called Truth of cause for suffering.

Arising and ceasing nature is the reality and do not involve defilements and hence is not the Truth of cause of suffering or Truth of cessation. However, if this phenomenon is not known it becomes the Truth of cause for suffering. Knowing the phenomenon is seeing insights of suffering. It removes the wrong view that the world is created by god and the notion of eternity in self through the knowledge of causality

The Truth of cessation of suffering is cessation of craving. Other forms of cessation such as cessation of nutriments are not the Truth of cessation of suffering. For instance cessation of form as a result of cessation of edible food is not the Truth of cessation. Therefore by merely observing the cessation of contact or aggregates such as the perception alone is not enlightening as defilements are not fully removed.

Name-matter (nama rupa) arising from re-link consciousness carries ignorance or not knowing the truth and hence creates erroneous formations; these results in repetition of re-link consciousness. However nothing that belongs to the name matter composition migrates to the new becoming and if any of them does, there is no possibility of reaching cessation of suffering. Craving causes the re-cognition or re link consciousness and hence cessation of craving ceases re-cognition and thus becoming.

There are several paths that can be adopted to become a human, a god or a brahma and all of them consist of morality, concentration and wisdom in general, but they are not the Truth of path to cessation. The Truth of path to cessation is the right view, right thought, right speech and right action and so on, the Noble Eightfold Path.

Whilst Moral conduct (sila), concentration (Samadhi) and wisdom (Panna) is the path, the Truth of the path consists of above mentioned states of the Noble Eightfold Path, i.e the right view, the right thought, the right speech etc. On the other hand the path and the Truth of the path are two different things, the Truth of the path is not found in all paths and within the Truth of the path there is no other path either. Mere following of the noble path is not adequate unless one nurtures it with virtue and concentration, founded on the right view. The path needs to be complemented by different states of the Noble Eightfold Path, if not, it’s merely a path. It’s like travelling on a path without a destination. 'There is no purpose in owning a paddy field if one does not sow paddy', says Venerable Sudassana.

Practicing in this manner fulfill all aspects of the Truth of the path to cessation with right view as the forerunner, revealing the reality as it is. The wisdom that is acquired through this process will not change.

An acetic needs a path consisting of morality, concentration and wisdom to develop higher levels of concentration and achieve dhyanas. However, achieving dhyana alone is not considered as attaining enlightenment, as defilements and fermentations will still remain since ignorance is not removed.