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The Discourse on Truths: The Four Noble Truths as Gratification, Danger and Escape
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The Discourse on Truths: The Four Noble Truths as Gratification, Danger and Escape

Saccakathā

The Paṭisambhidāmagga explains that the four noble truths are real and not otherwise, analyses the meanings of each truth, and quotes the Buddha saying that before awakening he examined the gratification, danger and escape of the five aggregates. It also sets out three ways of approaching truth: searching, determining and penetrating.

8 points

The Discourse on Truths (Saccakathā) in the Chapter on Pairs (Yuganaddhavagga) of the Paṭisambhidāmagga, Khuddaka Nikāya, opens with the Buddha's words that the four truths, "This is suffering, this is the origin of suffering, this is the cessation of suffering, this is the way leading to the cessation of suffering", are real, not unreal, not otherwise. It then explains in what senses each truth is real.

The Paṭisambhidāmagga is a text of the Khuddaka Nikāya that explains topics of the Dhamma systematically, dividing them into groups and layers of meaning. By tradition it is attributed to Venerable Sāriputta, while most scholars consider it a later compilation.

In the middle of the discourse the Buddha is quoted recounting that before his awakening he asked what the gratification, the danger and the escape are in the case of form, feeling, perception, volitional formations and consciousness, and that as long as he did not know these three as they really are, he did not claim to be awakened. The final part explains truth by way of searching, determining and penetrating, following the chain of dependent origination.

  1. 1

    The four truths are real, not otherwise Cattārīmāni bhikkhave tathāni avitathāni anaññathāni

    The Buddha's words quoted at the start say that the truths "This is suffering, this is the origin of suffering, this is the cessation of suffering, this is the way leading to the cessation of suffering" are real, not unreal, not otherwise.

    Applying it in daily life

    When life has problems, treat suffering as a fact to be examined, not as bad luck to be denied, and begin looking for its cause and a way out.

  2. 2

    Each truth is real in four senses Dukkhassa pīḷanaṭṭho saṅkhataṭṭho

    Suffering is real in the sense of oppressing, being conditioned, burning and changing. The origin is real in the sense of accumulating, being a source, binding and impeding. Cessation is real in the sense of escape, seclusion, being unconditioned and being deathless. The path is real in the sense of leading out, being a cause, seeing and being dominant.

    Applying it in daily life

    Use these words as questions to survey your mind: where is this stress oppressing me, what is conditioning it, and how is it changing?

  3. 3

    The four truths penetrated with a single knowledge Cattāri saccāni ekapaṭivedhāni

    The discourse explains that the four truths can be gathered into one in various ways, such as by being real, being not-self, being true and being what is to be penetrated. Once gathered into one, they are penetrated with a single knowledge. This point is for overall understanding.

    Applying it in daily life

    When studying the noble truths, don't treat them as four unrelated topics. See them as one picture: problem, cause, ending and path are always linked.

  4. 4

    Conditioned and unconditioned truths Saṅkhatalakkhaṇañca asaṅkhatalakkhaṇañca

    Truths have two characteristics: that of the conditioned and that of the unconditioned. For the truths of suffering, origin and path, arising, passing away and alteration while persisting are evident. For the truth of cessation, no arising, no passing away and no alteration are evident. This point is for overall understanding.

    Applying it in daily life

    Even good practice can arise and decline, so keep it going. Don't assume that doing well once means it will stay that way.

  5. 5

    The gratification, danger and escape of the five aggregates Assādañca assādato ādīnavañca ādīnavato nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato

    Before awakening the Buddha reflected: the pleasure and joy that arise dependent on form are the gratification of form; that form is impermanent, suffering and subject to change is the danger of form; the removal and abandoning of desire and lust for form is the escape from form. Likewise for feeling, perception, volitional formations and consciousness. As long as he did not know these three as they really are, he did not claim to be awakened.

    Applying it in daily life

    For something you're hooked on, such as scrolling social media, write three lines: what it gives me, how it harms me, and what it would be like if I wanted it less.

  6. 6

    Linking the three to the noble truths Pahānappaṭivedho samudayasaccaṃ

    Penetrating the gratification of form by abandoning is the truth of origin; penetrating its danger by full understanding is the truth of suffering; penetrating the escape from it by realisation is the truth of cessation; and the view, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and concentration regarding these three are the truth of the path.

    Applying it in daily life

    Once you know what must be let go, what must be understood in time, and what the goal is, action becomes much clearer.

  7. 7

    Searching, determining, penetrating Esanaṭṭhena pariggahaṭṭhena paṭivedhaṭṭhena

    Truth has three aspects: searching, as in asking what is the source of ageing and death; determining, knowing that ageing and death have birth as their source; and penetrating, clearly knowing ageing and death, their origin, their cessation and the way to their cessation. The questioning continues in this way through birth, existence and clinging, down to volitional formations with ignorance as their source.

    Applying it in daily life

    When a problem keeps recurring, don't stop at the first answer. Keep asking "And where does that come from?" several layers down, until you reach a cause you can actually work on.

  8. 8

    Dependent origination as pairs of suffering and cause Jarāmaraṇaṃ dukkhasaccaṃ jāti samudayasaccaṃ

    Ageing and death are the truth of suffering, birth is the truth of origin, the escape from both is the truth of cessation, and understanding cessation is the truth of the path. The pairing continues link by link, for example craving as suffering and feeling as origin, down to volitional formations as suffering and ignorance as origin.

    Applying it in daily life

    What is a result today may be the cause of tomorrow's problem. Try seeing one situation both as a result to accept and as a cause to watch out for.

Try it in daily life

The principle of gratification, danger and escape applies to anything we are attached to, whether work, a relationship or a mobile phone. Admitting that it really has gratification keeps us honest with ourselves; seeing its danger keeps us from being carried away entirely; and knowing the escape means we needn't run away or suppress, only loosen our grip.

The three steps are also a good thinking tool. When suffering arises, first ask where it comes from (searching), then identify the cause clearly (determining), and then see the problem, its cause, its ending and the way to solve it together in one picture (penetrating).

Many details in this discourse are scriptural analysis. General readers needn't memorise every group; keeping the main principles to use is enough.

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