The Three Characteristic of Existence

The Three Characteristics of Existence. The nature of existence includes the following characteristics, more important than any others:

1) Impermanence (anicca),
2) Suffering (dukkha),
3) No-self (anatta).

1) Impermanence means that nothing in this world is permanent. Everything that we see around us seems the same but is actually in a state of constant flow. The flowers that bloom today will dry up tomorrow. Impermanence is a law of the universe which nothing can escape, from the stars and plants to the smallest living things on earth.
2) Suffering is the second of the main characteristics of existence. The word dukkha is translated into English as suffering, sorrow, or unsatisfactoriness. The First Noble Truth can be summed up in this one word. The cause of suffering, as seen in the Second Noble Truth, is desire—the craving for sensual pleasures, for existence, or for self-destruction. By the complete removal of desire by man’s own conscious efforts, the Buddha taught that man can reach absolute peace and bliss, Enlightenment. The Buddha taught the existence of suffering, but he also taught the way out of suffering. He not only determined what the sickness is, but he also described a practical cure—the practice of the Eightfold Noble Path. “This above all do I teach,” he said, “suffering and the way out of suffering.”
3) No-soul is the teaching that there is no permanent being in man which can be called a self or soul. The so-called “self” or “I” is made up of five groups of attachment, the five aggregates. These are body, sensations, perceptions, intentional activities, and consciousness. Just as the word house is but a way of taking about bricks, wood, and other building materials, even though in the truest sense there is in reality no one separate thing that is a house, so in exactly the same way the words living being and ego are but ways of talking about the five groups of attachment.
The value of understanding the three characteristics of existence lies in progress made toward lessening one’s attachment to material objects, mental concepts, and the existence of the senses in general. In this way we go beyond avoidable suffering and unhappiness.

Meditation and Practice

The Threefold Training. The path leading out of unhappiness to Enlightenment has three parts: morality, concentration, and wisdom.
Morality (sila), the first part, includes all the virtues of an honest person who treats others kindly. It has been treated the same as all the virtues together, and many admirable qualities have been explained in relation to things perfect like purification and restraint as regards the body, speech, and the mind—actions, words, and thoughts. Morality is usually understood as referring to the Five Precepts, which make up the layman’s moral practice.
When we take the precepts, we should understand what this means and how to live our lives in order to get to the experience of purifying the mind and of establishing a harmless way of life. This is a different way of looking at life, where life is seen with understanding and compassion. When we have gained this attitude, these simple precepts, when followed every day, will lessen the suffering for us and for others. The meaning of the precepts is great if we think in terms of society. We should try to keep them at all times. We should think about how the first precept, that of holding oneself back from violence, including taking like, any and all life, will awaken and increase the feeling of loving kindness. It will certainly establish friendliness between man and man, man and woman, and man and animals. In this precept is expressed intelligent, all-including compassion and goodwill. It along could save human beings from destruction.
Then, again, the second precept, not to take what is not given, states the need for fair play. It gives up greed and grabbing for things, unfair competition that leads one to get and gather up riches, whatever it takes, by ruining others as well as by stealing that is obvious to everybody. One should not take even a blade of grass for oneself. One should not do any sort of dishonest act; one should, in fact, respect the property rights of others.
The third precept, not to misuse the senses but to practice purity and self-control, is also of great importance in society. It means not only practicing self-control and using the senses in the proper way, but it also establishes faithfulness in married life and it controls immoderation regarding the body. Health and family life, which provides the basic unity of human society, are kept safe. In the second place, this precept controls within reasonable limits the desire for sexual activity.
The fourth precept, not to give in to a desire for wrong speech, states the necessity of care in speech. Who will deny that telling lies leads to corruption of one’s mind and causes hurt to others? Lying and spreading evil and false reports about someone are kinds of cheating. Stealing a man’s good name may be more harmful than stealing his money. When countries do not keep their promises with other countries we can understand the great misfortune in society that not telling the truth brings. One’s actions should be in agreement with his words.
The fifth precept, not taking intoxicating drinks or drugs which cause heedlessness, is of the greatest importance. When this precept is not kept, it becomes easier to break the others. The habit of taking drugs or alcoholic drinks weakens the moral character of a man, and in this way society as a whole suffers. Just as repeating good actions develops a wholesome character, so repeating immoderate, poisonous actions is an evil in society.
Not one of the precepts can be broken continuously without causing harm both in the mind and in society. Nor should a person dedicated to Buddhism rest satisfied with following only these five precepts. From time to time, especially on full-moon and new-moon days, he should also follow the Eight Precepts or the Ten Precepts, in this way taking another step forward on the path.
As regards concentration (samadhi), the second part of the threefold training, it is absolutely necessary to practice meditation, called mental development. Mental development leads to a fixed or calm state of mind. The mind without discipline is in the habit of wandering here and there. Since it cannot be kept under control, it may follow any harmful idea, thought, or thing imagined. In order to prevent this unhealthy wandering, the mind should be concentrated on a chosen object. In the course of practice, the mind little by little loses its characteristics and remains fixed on the object to which it is directed. For example, by meditation on loving kindness, we can lessen or weaken the characteristic of ill-will and hatred. By meditating on the impermanence of worldly pleasures, we can weaken our attraction to them. By the repeated practice and development of compassion, one overcomes cruelty and all desire to harm others. Seeing all the extreme unhappiness in the world, one should not think too much about it but rather decide not to add to it in any way by thought, word, or action. By the practice of sympathetic joy, one is glad about the prosperity of others and changes into having sympathy for their success, in this way overcoming envy and jealousy. Equanimity, finally, is an unshakable condition of mind rooted in insight. It brings the mind to a kind of perfection. These four mental states—loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity—are called the divine abodes.
What is the purpose of meditation? For all schools of Buddhism, the highest goal of the practice is Enlightenment. Nibbana is the extinction of the defilements of desire, hate, and delusion.
There are, however, other advantages to be gained from meditation that is done withdrawn from other human beings: a long life; a good reputation; replacement of fear by confidence; removal of laziness, greed, delusion, and pride; and the creation of gladness. Through meditation we can see the three characteristics of impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and non-self. Meditation makes the connection between knowing the truth according to reason and actually experiencing the truth. Meditation is a cure not only for mental sickness but also for physical sickness.
Wisdom (panna) is the third and last part of the threefold training. After undertaking the practice of morality, the one who seeks to move along the path practices meditation. When the mind is concentrated, he turns it to the understanding of the true nature of things. Wisdom is the right understanding of the true nature of the world in the light of this impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and non-self. Knowledge is of there kinds: a) that which is gotten by learning, i.e., hearing, etc.; b) that which is gotten by thinking; and c) that which is gotten by meditation. This wisdom is the high point of the threefold training which leads to Enlightenment.

The Eightfold Path

The Four Noble Truths. Avoiding the two extremes, the Buddha, therefore, asked his followers to take the Middle Way, which “opens the eyes and gives understanding, which leads to peace of mind, to the higher wisdom, to full Enlightenment.” In fact, according to the First Noble Truth, life is subject to “suffering.” This is the quotation that fits here: “Now this is the noble truth of suffering: birth is suffering, falling into a lesser condition is suffering, sickness is suffering, death is suffering, connection with things one dislikes is suffering, separation from things one likes is suffering, not to get what one wants is suffering. In short, the five aggregates of clinging are suffering.”
When these conditions are analyzed one by one, we can see how painful they are. Every one of us has to face these conditions in his journey through life. Impermanence is a fact that applies to everything. There is nothing born or conditioned which is not subject to this law. Hence the logic of the Buddha’s saying that whatever is impermanent is also painful. Thus even the so-called pleasures end in pain. This proves the truth of the statement that all conditions of life based on attachment are painful.
The Second Noble Truth is that this suffering is caused by ignorance which results in desire. All things and events are related as causes and effects.
There is nothing in the world as it appears to us which falls outside the cause-effect relation. So, like everything else, suffering has its cause, and that cause is found not outside us but within us. Now what is that cause? It is self-centered desire. Selfish desires are based on valuing everything in relation to oneself and show themselves in different forms: arguing, fighting, etc.
The Third Noble Truth is that this suffering can be gotten rid of by the removal of desire. We now know that selfish desire is the cause of suffering. When the cause is removed, the effect will naturally cease. When desire is destroyed, suffering will also come to an end. The end of suffering is the negative result, and reaching the bliss of Enlightenment is the positive result. In other words, along with reaching Enlightenment there will be an end to all suffering.
The Fourth Noble Truth is the path to get rid of suffering. One can, therefore, put an end to suffering by choosing as one’s own and following the path, the Middle Way, which for the Buddhist is the philosophy of life itself. The Middle Way of overcoming oneself which leads to the highest goal has eight parts. This is the Noble Eightfold Path:

1) Right Understanding,
2) Right Thought,
3) Right Speech,
4) Right Action,
5) Right Livelihood,
6) Right Effort,
7) Right Mindfulness,
8) Right Concentration.

1) Right Understanding. To begin walking the path we must see life as it is according to its three characteristics of impermanence, suffering, and selflessness. We must also possess a clear understanding of the nature of existence, of the moral law, of the things which go to make up the continuing circle of birth and death.
2) Right Thought. This means that our mind should be pure, free from sensual desire, ill-will, cruelty, and like things. At the same time, we should be willing to give up anything that blocks our mental and psychological progress.
3) Right Speech. By holding oneself back from lying, speaking unfavorably about a person behind his back, harsh talk, and also from gossip having no real value, we create a connection between thought and action, one, moreover, which is characterized by wisdom and kindness. Correct speech should not be too loud or excitable, not bought about by prejudices, ill-will, or selfish interests. It should not be such as to excite passions or stir up the emotions.
4) Right Action. This for the most part consists of observing the Five Precepts, which can be shown in both their positive and negative character: a) Not to kill, but to practice love and harmlessness to all. b) Not to take that which is not given, but to practice love and generosity. c) Not to misuse the senses, but to practice purity and self-control. d) Not to give in to a desire for wrong speech, but to practice sincerity and honesty. e) Not to take intoxicating drinks or drugs which cause heedlessness, but to practice self-control and mindfulness. For the ordinary Buddhist, moreover, it is absolutely necessary for him to practice all these precepts if he wishes to aim for the higher life.
5) Right Livelihood. The layman should pursue an occupation only if it does not cause harm or injustice to other human beings. To deceive others, to betray the trust of others, to practice fortune-telling, for example, are regarded as wrong livelihood. The traditional occupations from which a layman is prohibited are a) dealing in weapons, b) living beings, c) flesh, d) intoxicating drinks, and e) poison. Being a soldier, fisherman, hunter, etc., are also included. He should be free from greed in financial dealings; he should be honest and upright. He should have nothing to do with prostitution of any kind. He should have a sense of service and duty in life.
6) Right Effort. Self-perfection can be achieved by avoiding and rejecting unhealthy qualities while gaining and developing skillful ones. Right effort is divided into four parts: a) the effort to prevent the arising of unskilled thoughts, words, and deeds which have not yet arisen, b) the effort to force out whatever is unskilled that has already arisen, c) the effort to stir up healthy thoughts, words, and actions, d) the effort to further the growth of all the good words, thoughts, and actions which are already present.
7) Right Mindfulness. This means a state of constant awareness with regard to a) the body, b) feelings, c) the mind, and d) mental objects. Mind, according to Buddhism, is the sixth sense and nothing more. The development of mindfulness is necessary to prevent the practitioner from being led in the wrong direction by incorrect views. Thus it is the end of a process which connects to the direct insight into things as they really are. This marks a further step from the point where things were known only by the differences each showed, since here all such differences are set aside. Although things seem “good” or “bad,” “right” or “wrong,” such attitudes as these only go to prove how the mind views things in an incomplete way. The process of thoughts is food for the mind that makes it able to determine the truth clearly. Here we should go beyond opposites like “good” or “bad,” etc., if we are to make progress and see the true meaning and relationships of all conditioned things.
8) Right Concentration. At the final step we should aim at one-pointedness of mind directed toward a wholesome object. Through desire and craving, the root of most unhealthy acts of will adds up, making rebirth unavoidable. To overcome this process, we must first understand that everything is impermanent, unsatisfactory or suffering, and not a real self. True knowledge of this kind is obtained through the practice of meditation, of which there are two parts: the active one of practice, and the passive one of making real.
To meditate, we should sit quietly with a calm mind and, if our thoughts wander, patiently control the mind once again by stopping these thoughts and getting rid of them. We breathe naturally. The breaths must not be controlled or opposed in any way; otherwise it is impossible to understand the important message they have to tell.
Things like counting are usually necessary at first to make sure that concentration occurs, but they can be set aside once we have a firm hold of our minds and can prevent them from wandering away from the task at hand. In this connection, there are five mental hindrances to be gotten rid of or at least weakened in order to make progress in the practice. They are a) sensuality, b) ill-will, c) laziness, d) restless and regret, and e) skeptical doubt.
Once the destructive influence of the hindrances is removed, we will be able to concentrate more easily, making it possible for our highest goal to become clearer. We have to undergo a long training to reach this point, but when we do, concentration is gained, concentration which is the way to making Enlightenment real.

Basic Buddha's teaching

Buddhism.[1] Buddhism is a way of life and living which says something important about the world of today just as it did more than 2,500 years ago when it was first taught by Siddhattha Gotama. It is the way of depending upon oneself. Buddhism does not rest on blind faith but on scientific investigation, on logic, and on reason. It encourages the questioning mind, and it encourages seekers after the highest truth.
The Buddha asked his followers to test the truthfulness of his teaching in the light of their own experience and judgment. When he to some people who doubted him in northeastern India, he advised them not to accept anything on the strength of rumor, simple agreement with one’s own tradition, ideas formed ahead of time, the fact that a person is pleasing to us, rational argument, nor upon the idea, “The monk is our teacher.” On the contrary, he said, “Whatever things are good, whatever things are true, whatever things lead to your own good, these things should you accept, these things should you do.”
Buddhism is not, exactly speaking, a religion at all, as it is not a system of faith and worship owing devotion to any supernatural being. It is a path that guides a seeker through “right” (in the sense of “complete,” “skilful,” “wholesome”) living and thinking to the goal of the highest understanding and deliverance from all “suffering.”
Though flowers, incense, and candles may be offered before pictures or images of the Buddha, he is not worshipped as a god. He was an extraordinary human being, who once said, “He honors me best who practices my teaching best.” Great emphasis is laid on the importance of meditation, which leads to self-discipline, self-control, and Enlightenment. Man follows the way of the Buddhism by his own efforts alone and does not rely on any external power at all. The true Buddhist is full of joy and hope. He follows a teaching which leads to his spiritual freedom, and he recognizes that through his own efforts alone he can reach his goal.

The Buddha.[2] A prince of the warrior class in Aryan society named Siddhattha Gotama who had given up and left his family came down from the lower hills of the Himalaya Mountains to north-central India. After studying and refusing to accept the philosophical systems that were then being taught, he reached Enlightenment by his own efforts: he become the Buddha, the “Enlightened One.” Modern writers of history agree that this happened in or about 525 B.C. at Bodh-Gaya in Bihar, a state in northeastern India. From there Gotama journeyed to Varanasi where, at the time of the full moon in July, he gave his famous first discourse and thus “set in motion the Wheel of the Law.” He worked without ceaselessly for the good and happiness of the many and passed away at the age of eighty, leaving no one to take over for him but encouraging his followers to consider the Dhamma as their teacher.

The Buddha’s Teaching. The teachings (Dhamma) of the Buddha have come to be known as Buddhism, and at one time they were in full force throughout Asia. During twenty-five centuries, Buddhism has combined with the traditional beliefs and religions of many lands, making them more valuable because of the purity of its philosophy. Thus in modern times there about three hundred million[3] Buddhists in the world, found mainly in India, China, Taiwan, Siberia, Japan, Tibet, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Singapore, with large groups in Western countries, especially England, France, West Germany and the United States.
Beginning his first discourse, the Buddha asked his followers to avoid the extremes of sensual desire and self-mortification (punishing oneself). He said, “Sensual desire is low, common, and improper, not noble, and unprofitable; and self-mortification is painful, not noble, and unprofitable.” He said this because sensual desire slows down one’s spiritual progress, and self-mortification weakens one’s power of understanding.
The Buddha himself put into practice both these extremes before his Enlightenment, the first when he was a prince in his father’s house before he gave up and left the world, the second as an ascetic in the forest before his Enlightenment. Hence he realized their uselessness and discovered that only overcoming oneself in moderation leads to the highest goal of nibbana or nirvana, that is, Enlightenment.
[1] This presentation is an edited version of Ven. Dr. H. Saddhatissa, An Introduction to Buddhism, published by The Council of Thai Bhikkhus in the United States (Thailand: S. R. Printing Co., Ltd, n.d.). The original work has been edited slightly by Du Wayne Engelhart for use by the missionary monks at the Wat Thai Washington, D.C., Silver Spring, Maryland.
[2] For a discussion of the life of the Buddha within its historical context, see Phramaha Thanat Inthisan, Walking the Path of the Buddha (Samutprakarn, Thailand: Pimpinit Printing Ltd. 2007).
[3] This is a low figure. Current estimates place the number closer to 400 million. It is estimated that in the United States alone there are 3-4 million Buddhists (see the reference in Charles S. Prebish, Luminous Passage; The Practice and Study of Buddhism in America (Berkeley: The University of California Press, 1999), p. 272.