For one who has fallen into samsara –the Cycle of Birth and Death- only suffering exists, never true happiness. Whatever happiness there may be, it is only the Contemplation of meditation found in fortunate realms. However, even the contemplation of meditation, being ultimately subject to suffering, cannot truly be called happiness in the world. Therefore, samsara is nothing but suffering.
The Blessed One, the Buddha, revealed the path to emancipation from such suffering to all beings, but he never taught a method that could be considered a shortcut.
The Blessed One, the Buddha, taught that by sequentially cultivating virtue, concentration, and wisdom, Nibbana is realized through effort across countless lifetimes. He does not teach a Nibbana that can be attained merely by sitting once in a monastery, or by listening to a discourse from an arahant even a single time. The reason is that Nibbana cannot be attained in that way. That is, because unwholesome actions –karma- carried over countless saṃsaras cannot be undone all at once, the Blessed One, the Buddha, does not teach a Nibbana that can be attained instantly, momentarily, or by any shortcut.
Let us explore how this comes to be.
According to the Blessed One, the Buddha, ignorance (avijjā) is an ancient and profound Dhamma.
// ‘‘Purimā, bhikkhave, koṭi na paññāyati avijjāya – ‘ito pubbe avijjā nāhosi, atha pacchā samabhavī’ti.// (Avijjāsuttaṃ)
Mendicants, no first point of ignorance is evident, such that one could say: ‘Before this, there was no ignorance, but then it arose afterward.
That is to say, because no first origin can be discerned in this world-system, where countless and immeasurable Fully Awakened Ones, the Tathāgatas, have attained Buddhahood and passed away, ignorance—having no discernible beginning, so ancient, so deeply rooted, having grown over countless ages, the origin of all unwholesome deeds, and the seed of continued existence in saṃsāra—cannot be broken all at once, like a banana trunk cut with a sword.
Just as a single lifetime would not suffice for a man to break down a great mountain like the Himalayas with a small hammer and level it to the height of the sea, so too, if one could be reborn again and again and live through countless lifetimes, only after an even greater and extremely arduous effort—by removing ignorance and destroying the defilements—would it be possible to realize Nibbāna.
Ignorance is so weighty, so dark, so dense.
Such ignorance cannot be destroyed all at once, instantaneously, or by a shortcut. For that reason, by sequentially cultivating virtue, concentration, and wisdom, and dedicating countless lifetimes to the practice, the fact that it is beyond understanding reveals the gravity of ignorance.
Only one who has weakened ignorance to some extent can develop true knowledge of the Four Noble Truths. To develop true knowledge of the Four Noble Truths, as previously shown, one must cultivate virtue, concentration, and wisdom sequentially, and practice the Noble Eightfold Path with dedication across countless rebirths. For that, there must be faith – loyalty toward the Lord Buddha, the Tathāgata. To cultivate faith, one must associate with virtuous persons. To receive the association of virtuous persons, one must have meritorious strength.
Therefore, the destruction of ignorance does not come like manna from heaven; it is a state that can be attained only through the sequential cultivation of virtue, concentration, and wisdom, and through dedicated practice across countless rebirths.
Otherwise,
If he, even without understanding, supports, joins, or assists in the meritorious deeds of virtuous persons—such as generosity, virtue, and meditation—then, even though very weak, wholesome dispositions will arise in him. Through the repeated cultivation of those wholesome states of mind, the subsequent wholesome knowledge and deeds become superior, more distinguished, and further developed than the earlier ones. After that, again and again, the wholesome mind will become stronger.
If he, even with blind faith, becomes connected with a wholesome deed and even gathers some weak form of merit, then by the fruition of that merit, either in this very life or in a future life, the path will open for him to accumulate greater and stronger merits. As the merits accumulated thereafter become stronger than before, the power of merit will grow increasingly stronger in future occasions and in future lives.
Thus, if a person begins the practice of wholesome deeds—whether through blind faith or through the guidance of others—then, journeying along that path through countless existences, becoming habituated to it over innumerable lives, that very habituation and that very journey gradually become conditions for the weakening of ignorance. Gradually becomes a condition for the development of wisdom.
As he cultivates virtue, concentration, and wisdom, and trains for a long time in saṃsāra, ignorance becomes weakened to the extent that true knowledge of the Four Noble Truths arises. Wisdom develops.
If at that moment he develops satipaṭṭhāna, attaining the path becomes very easy. For that ease of attainment, the training undertaken over countless previous existences is of great importance.
Without the training of countless previous existences as shown, there is no attainment of Nibbāna in the world all at once, instantaneously, or by a shortcut, like manna from heaven.
Therefore, no Blessed One has ever taught a Nibbāna that can be attained all at once, instantaneously, or by a shortcut.
Thus, over countless existences, one trains, develops, and strengthens in generosity, virtue, meditation, and wisdom, is fulfilling the pāramitās.
Thus, over countless existences, training, developing, and strengthening in generosity, virtue, meditation, and wisdom is the fulfillment of the pāramitās. It must essentially be understood that, without those pāramitās, as mentioned before, ignorance cannot be destroyed all at once.
Similarly, the fulfillment of the pāramitās is not postponing Nibbāna to future ages, but is accomplished through utmost effort to realize Nibbāna within this very life. Thus, the path is opened only for one who strives to realize Nibbāna within this very life, and the pāramitās are fulfilled.
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