17 September 2001, 12:06am IST
Suresh Jindal.
Buddhism avoids the extreme views of nihilism and of permanent existence. the first viewpoint maintains that conventional truth does not exist, whereas the second viewpoint says that phenomena do have inherent and permanent existence. the middle path of buddhism postulates that there are two truths to a reality; a conventional reality that we are all familiar with and an ultimate reality of the true nature of things, beyond appearances. his holiness, the dalai lama has said: "then is everything non-existent? if things did not exist, they could not affect us, but pain and pleasure do exist. when with respect to any phenomenon, the object designated is sought, it is not found in the place where it was thought to exist; however, that it is non-existent is contradicted by experience. therefore, since it is the case that the phenomenon being sought certainly exists but is not found on analysis, it can be concluded that it is not established under its own power but exists through force of conditions. what are those conditions? conceptual consciousness that designated phenomena. thus it is inevitably established that phenomena exist by the force of, or in dependence upon, imputation by conceptuality." let us take an example and examine a familiar object like the fruit, mango. when we investigate to seek where the unchangeable, permanently and inherently existing 'mango' exists we do not find it anywhere. the fruit of course is composed of various parts -- the outer skin, the pulp and the seed. the way we accept a mango existing in phenomenal reality is: it is so known by agreed conventions; it does not contradict valid cognition. for example, if i saw only a mirage of a mango and the others do not, it is not a conventionally valid cognition; it should not contradict its ultimate conventional nature which is ascribed to a fruit commonly called by that name. similarly, 'i' is a label appended to a base of the psycho-physical aggregates of the entity. certainly, there is an 'i' that feels elation and pain. to say otherwise would be to contradict conventional experience, and it would not be possible for us to achieve 'buddhahood' or a state of enlightenment. but, if we were to search for it in the body or the mind no self-existent entity would be found. saying "i have broken my leg" would imply 'i' am found in the body. whereas saying, "i will think about it" would imply 'i' am to be found in the mind. a similar analysis will show that 'i' as a single and indivisible entity will not be found in the aggregates of feeling, perception, volition and consciousness. obviously 'i' is not a single and indivisible entity existing uniquely and solidly. the base that we nominate as 'i' arises dependently on its aggregates but is not found in either one or in the sum total of them. these aggregates themselves are impermanent and ever changing. grasping on to 'i' as something solid, self-existent and permanent is a hallucination, a dream, and a magical illusion. the pride and arrogance of this false and deluded 'i' gives rise to the duality of the 'other'. 'i' splits the ultimate nature of reality which is dependent on causes and conditions, impermanent and empty of inherent existence into subject and object, 'me' and 'you', 'us' and 'them'. 'i' grasps at the pursuit of pleasure and craves for its permanent continuation. those who help 'me' in this get labelled 'friends' and those who hinder 'me' become 'enemies'. constantly shrouded by the veil of illusion, 'i' lives under uncertainty, paranoia, alienation and fear. through experience, it sees that things change and dissolve -- loved ones die, friends turn enemies, fortune turns to dust, fame to disgrace. suffocating under the veil of illusion of its own permanence 'i' seeks to adorn 'me' by a demented pursuit of wealth in the mistaken view that these material symbols will give 'me' solidity and substance. but the worldly symbols too are impermanent and empty of inherent existence. ignorance of 'i"s interdependent, infinite, and timeless relationship to the entire cosmic creation, and preference for a minuscule and mutilated 'person' makes 'i' create karmas and patterns that are the cause of all afflictive emotions. buddhism says that when the causes and conditions of the 'i's negative acts come to fruition, it results in suffering. because of the the ultimate truth of impermanence and interdependence, every conventional truth changes, including suffering.
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