THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS By Ajahn Sumedho - DharmaFlower.Net

are not trying to say that things are not anything at all or that theyare not what they are. They are exactly what they are and nothingmore. But when we are ignorant, when we have not understood thesetruths, we tend to think things are more than what they are. Webelieve all kinds of things and we create all kinds of problems aroundthe conditions that we experience.So much of human anguish and despair comes from the added extrathat is born of ignorance in the moment. It is sad to realise how themisery and anguish and despair of humanity is based upon delusion;the despair is empty and meaningless. When you see this, you beginto feel infinite compassion for all beings. How can you hate anyone orbear grudges or condemn anyone who is caught in this bond ofignorance? Everyone is influenced to do the things they do by theirwrong views of things.As we meditate, we experience some tranquillity, a measure of calm inwhich the mind has slowed down. When we look at something like aflower with a calm mind, we are looking at it as it is. When there is nograsping - nothing to gain or get rid of - then if what we see, hear orexperience through the senses is beautiful, it is truly beautiful. We arenot criticising it, comparing it, trying to possess or own it; we finddelight and joy in the beauty around us because there is no need tomake anything out of it. It is exactly what it is.Beauty reminds us of purity, truth and ultimate beauty. We shouldnot see it as a lure to delude us: ‘These flowers are here just to attractme so I’ll get deluded by them’ - that’s the attitude of the oldmeditating grump! When we look at a member of the opposite sex witha pure heart, we appreciate the beauty without the desire for somekind of contact or possession. We can delight in the beauty of otherpeople, both men and women, when there is no selfish interest ordesire. There is honesty; things are as they are. This is what we meanby liberation or vimutti in Pali. We are liberated from those bonds thatdistort and corrupt the beauty around us, such as the bodies we have.However, our minds can get so corrupt and negative and depressedand obsessed with things, that we no longer see them as they are. Ifwe don’t have Right Understanding, we see everything throughincreasingly thick filters and veils.Right Understanding is to be developed through reflection, using theBuddha’s teaching. The Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta is a veryinteresting teaching to contemplate and use as a reference forreflection. We can also use other suttas from the tipitaka, such asthose dealing with paticcasamuppada (dependent origination). This isa fascinating teaching to reflect upon. If you can contemplate suchteachings, you can see very clearly the difference between the waythings are as Dhamma and the point where we tend to create delusionout of the way things are. That is why we need to establish full