Chapter II


There Is A Non-Conditional Condition To Be Realized

The Reality-Teachings of the Buddhist Sage Gotama Sakyamuni

Adi Da Samraj has drawn the texts in this chapter from the Pali Canon, the primary collection of early Buddhist scriptures. The Pali Canon is grouped into three sections, or “baskets” (pitaka), relating to (1) the rules of monastic discipline (Vinaya-pitaka), (2) the discourses of Gotama Sakyamuni (Suttapitka), and (3) further teachings (Abhidhamma-pitaka). Adi Da has rendered selected verses of various texts found in the second “basket”, containing the discourses and dialogues ascribed to Gotama Sakyamuni (c. fifth century BCE). The texts of the Pali Canon were first preserved and transmitted orally by Buddhist monks and were later codified on palm-leaf manuscripts, likely around the beginning of the common era or somewhat before.

The Sage Gotama Sakyamuni, traditionally referred to by the honorific title “Buddha” (signifying one who is a Master-Sage “of Self-Illuminated Mind”), said to His disciples:

1. Whatever and all that arises (or originates) conditionally, or as the effect of a cause, will (inevitably, and necessarily) cease--or come to an end, and pass away.
Majjhima Nikaya 56

2. Conditionally arising forms and experiences are, necessarily impermanent and fleeting. Therefore, they cannot satisfy (or even console) the person desiring to be fulfilled, or who is seeking a lasting happiness. True satisfaction (or true happiness) is only in the transcending of all desires--and of all seeking--for conditionally arising (or causable) forms and experiences. Indeed, real liberation from desire is the only true and final satisfaction--and the final transcending of all seeking is the only true and real liberation.
Anguttara Nikaya VII, 62

3. Perfect peace is the only perfect satisfaction, or real happiness. Perfect peace is in the perfect transcending of desire--or of all seeking toward satisfaction (or fulfillment, or happiness) by means of conditionally arising, and necessarily impermanent, forms and experiences. Perfect peace is Realized in the non-arising--and, indeed, in the non-causing--of impermanent conditions, forms, and experiences. In the non-arising--and, therefore, the non-desiring, and, altogether, the non-seeking--of impermanent conditions, forms, and experiences, there is perfect peace. The perfect peace Realized in the transcending of all conditionality is true liberation--or Nirvana.
Anguttara Nikaya III, 32

4. My teaching argument is entirely and only in the indication that conditional existence is suffering--because it is inherently impermanent, and, therefore, unable to grant true and permanent satisfaction. My teaching admonition is entirely and only in the indication that all suffering can be transcended (or escaped), by means of the transcending of all efforts of desire and seeking toward impermanent conditions, forms, and experiences--and indeed, by means of the transcending of all attachment to conditional (or impermanent) existence itself.
Majjhima Nikaya 22

5. Suffering arises (inherently, and necessarily) whenever any conditional (or caused, and, therefore, impermanent) form, experience, or state arises--or even whenever any causative effort (of desire, or of seeking) arises toward conditional possibilities (of form, experience, or state). Therefore, suffering ceases (or is inherently transcended) only whenever causative efforts (or desire, and of seeking) cease (or are inherently transcended), and (thus and thereby) conditionally causable forms, experiences, and states are no longer arising (or causing suffering).
Samyutta Nikaya XII, 15

6. No person of right understanding attributes separate (or self-existing, and non-dependent, and non-conditional) existence to any conditionally arising (or conditionally caused, and inherently impermanent) form, experience, or state. Therefore, no person of right understanding should regard (or interpret) any conditionally arising (or conditionally caused, and inherently impermanent) form, experience, or state to be a separate (or self-existing, and non-dependent, and non-conditional) self--or a real and permanent (or even eternal) ego-“I”.
Majjhima Nikaya 115

7. All persons who conceive (and advocate the existence) of a real and permanent (and even eternal) ego-“I” (or separate self, or eternal soul) are attributing selfhood to what is objectively apparent (and, therefore, not-self)--and, as such, they are attributing permanence (as well as separateness, and even self-existence) to what is merely conditionally, and temporarily, and dependently caused. Therefore, such persons (in their ignorant worldliness) conceive of material objectivity, and emotional feelings, and perceptual states, and states of mind, and, indeed, every kind of attention-awareness to be a real, and permanent, and even eternal, and separate, and non-dependent, and even self-existing entity (or self, or ego-“I”).
Samyutta Nikaya XXII, 47

8. Whatever is an object of attention--or, that is to say, whatever stands in apparent objective relation to attention awareness--is not “self. ” Attention (or attention-awareness) itself is not “self”--and not a “self ”. All causes of attention-awareness are not “self ”. All forms, conditions, or states of attention-awareness are not “self ” (and not a “self ”). Therefore, how could it be possible that “consciousness”--defined or limited by the idea that it arises from (or is caused by, or, in any sense, depends upon) whatever is not “self”--is “self ” (or a “self ”, or the “self ”)? Conditionally arising “consciousness” is merely attention awareness--impermanent, conditionally caused, only suffering, never satisfied, always desiring, always seeking, not liberated, not at peace, not Nirvana.
Samyutta Nikaya XXXV, 141

9. All of the process of conditional causation and all of the phenomena that are conditionally caused must be observed, and understood, and transcended as such. The presumption (or idea) of a separate self (or ego-“I”) is conditionally caused, and based upon the perception of conditionally arising phenomena --all of which are not “self ”. Therefore, the presumption (or idea) of a separate self (or ego-“I”)--including all of its impulses of desire and seeking--must be observed, and understood, and transcended as not-“self ”.
Anguttara Nikaya VI, 104

10. In the deep solitude inherent in the heart, the happiness transcending human conditions is “located”--by one who knows the perfect Realization of Truth. Observing the arising and passing of conditionally caused forms, experiences, and states--the Realizer of the perfect knowing of Truth transcends the ego-“I” in Transcendental Bliss, while Self-Beholding the inherently egoless Condition of the birthless and deathless State.
Dhammapada 373f