Finally, I've come across "The Leaves" Sutta, Simsapa Sutta - which was previously highlighted by someone, and which before that I had never heard of it.
What is interesting to note is that in this Sutta, the Buddha emphasized that he taught only the 4 Noble Truths pertinent to the goal. And that by contemplating on the 4 Noble Truths alone, unbinding will be the final result.
Taken from http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn56/sn56.031.than.html :
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"Once the Blessed One was staying at Kosambi in the simsapa forest. Then, picking up a few simsapa leaves with his hand, he asked the monks, "What do you think, monks: Which are more numerous, the few simsapa leaves in my hand or those overhead in the simsapa forest?"
"The leaves in the hand of the Blessed One are few in number, lord. Those overhead in the simsapa forest are more numerous."
"In the same way, monks, those things that I have known with direct knowledge but have not taught are far more numerous [than what I have taught]. And why haven't I taught them? Because they are not connected with the goal, do not relate to the rudiments of the holy life, and do not lead to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to Unbinding. That is why I have not taught them.
"And what have I taught? 'This is stress... This is the origination of stress... This is the cessation of stress... This is the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress': This is what I have taught. And why have I taught these things? Because they are connected with the goal, relate to the rudiments of the holy life, and lead to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to Unbinding. This is why I have taught them.
"Therefore your duty is the contemplation, 'This is stress... This is the origination of stress... This is the cessation of stress.' Your duty is the contemplation, 'This is the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress.'"
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I'm not sure why Suttas have been quoted very often, but seldom dissected and its dissection presented to others. Maybe it's because I've not gone to any Sutta study class? Gaining direct experiential knowledge, mentioned in the Sutta above itself and which we can also call it according to our modern definition as empirical knowledge, is the best knowledge. But second to that for me is the priori knowledge gained through dissecting all these reliable things (Suttas being one of the most reliable sources). Even if the best teachers were to personally teach us, I believe that we have to study, learn & experience for ourselves so that knowledge become ours. So this is my version of the dissection of this Sutta:
Is our duty that simple as it appears to be from the paragraph of the Sutta above? It sounds too good to be true to me. In practice, things get ambiguous, with lots of second-guessing like "Is this dukkha?".
How do we correctly recognize stress, to say confidently that "This is stress"?
From the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta: Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn56/sn56.011.than.html :
I prefer the translation version by Harvey -
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"Now this, bhikkhus, for the spiritually ennobled ones, is the true reality which is pain: birth is painful, aging is painful, illness is painful, death is painful; sorrow, lamentation, physical pain, unhappiness and distress are painful; union with what is disliked is painful; separation from what is liked is painful; not to get what one wants is painful; in brief, the five bundles of grasping-fuel are painful."
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Ok, suppose that we now know how to identify stress. Then is recognizing, noting & stating that "This is stress" - encompassing the action of contemplating - all that is fundamentally necessary for unbinding? I cannot be certain of the degree of efficiency, but among these 7 touted results (some arguably overlapping) by the Buddha "lead to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to Unbinding", I know I have experienced 2 results - calm & dispassion - whenever I note that "This is stress".
Although the word used is 'contemplate', I think that thinking 'This is stress' is very much a noting mental activity. When 'contemplate' mental activity is used, at least for me, there arises confusing, ambiguous second-guessing 'what exactly should I contemplate regarding this'.
I would say that Calm & Dispassion are the immediate results in regard to noting that something is stressful. Maybe we have to wait a long time to have the opportunity to note illness; death; lamentation; union with what is disliked; etc. But we have lots of opportunity to note the 'five bundles of grasping-fuel', that they are painful and stressful.
The action of Grasping is easy to see - so frequently we are grasping something new - tagging it accordingly as pleasant or unpleasant the moment we pick up attention on it. (Hmm...I wonder why only the 5 senses constitute the five bundles of grasping-fuel...why is the mental objects left out.)
How about for the advanced results or the actual goal of direct knowledge; self-awakening; Unbinding. How can this duty lead to such profound results? Especially in the concentrated meditative state (the only way that the advanced results can emerge), where the 5 senses become stilled, what would be the grasping that leads to stress - which needs to be noted according to this Simsapa Sutta.
Discursive thoughts should be stilled in concentrated meditation. But I recall reading somewhere that directed thoughts should be done. When discursive, grasping thoughts are stilled, where should the directed thoughts be aimed at, to note "This is stress".
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