THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS By Ajahn Sumedho - DharmaFlower.Net

Right Aspiration (samma sankappa)2. Morality (sila)Right Speech (samma vaca)Right Action (samma kammanta)Right Livelihood (samma ajiva)3. Concentration (samadhi)Right Effort (samma vayama)Right Mindfulness (samma sati)Right Concentration (samma samadhi)The fact that we list them in order does not mean that they happen ina linear way, in sequence - they arise together. We may talk about theEightfold Path and say ‘First you have Right Understanding, then youhave Right Aspiration, then....’ But actually, presented in this way, itsimply teaches us to reflect upon the importance of takingresponsibility for what we say and do in our lives.RIGHT UNDERSTANDINGThe first element of the Eightfold Path is Right Understanding whicharises through insights into the first three Noble Truths. If you havethese insights, then there is perfect understanding of Dhamma - theunderstanding that:‘All that is subject to arising is subject to ceasing.’ It’s as simple asthat. You do not have to spend much time reading ‘All that is subjectto arising is subject to ceasing’ to understand the words, but it takesquite a while for most of us to really know what the words mean in aprofound way rather than just through cerebral understanding.To use modern colloquial English, insight is really gut knowledge - it’snot just from ideas. It’s no longer, ‘I think I know’, or ‘Oh yes, thatseems a reasonable, sensible thing. I agree with that. I like thatthought.’ That kind of understanding is still from the brain whereasinsight knowledge is profound. It is really known and doubt is nolonger a problem.This deep understanding comes from the previous nine insights. Sothere is a sequence leading to Right Understanding of things as theyare, namely that: All that is subject to arising is subject to ceasing andis not-self. With Right Understanding, you have given up the illusionof a self that is connected to mortal conditions. There is still the body,there are still feelings and thoughts, but they simply are what they are- there is no longer the belief that you are your body or your feelingsor your thoughts. The emphasis is on ‘Things are what they are.’ We