Attempt to understand ‘reality’ or not to attempt: Decision is entirely ours
Seeing “Things As They Really Are…”
I suppose the above statement can be interpreted in many different ways. But whichever way one may seek to come to terms with it, in the end it all boils down to the basics – the natural laws of the universe. Scientists are busy at work even at this very moment trying to explain these basics, either confirming or refuting them through rigorous experimentation.
We thought, up to relatively recent times that the atom was the smallest indivisible particle that existed – until, that is, it was found not to be the case. Atoms therefore ceased to be considered the smallest particle, as they were discovered to be composed of yet-smaller particles, the electrons, protons and neutrons, all incessantly in motion around the limits of the atom. Since then, science has been experimenting with even greater fervour to establish the nature of these particles or energy thereof. These experiments have led to new light being shed on the nature of all matter and what constitutes it. So we now know of the existence of even smaller particles or packages of energy, such as quarks and the Higgs’ Boson, thanks to the work still being done at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, deep beneath the earth in Switzerland.
From a Buddhist perspective,there exist four basic categories, which can be regarded as the smallest possible ‘elements’ or ‘energy’ that are present in all known matter. The Buddha described these a‘four great elements’(‘chattari maha bhutam’) as ‘solidity, fluidity, heat and motion’ (patavi, apo, thejo, vayo).While we are still conducting experiments on these issues even now, the Buddha described this fundamental information on particulate matter as far back as the 5th century BCE.
So, all things in this universe– be they organic or inorganic – are composed of these very basic ‘elements’. Everything can be understood to be derived from the same stuff, hence there is nothing overtly different between the make-up of say, our body, or anything else in the world; whatever is ‘seen’ to be different is only in the way things are ‘packaged’ and presented but nothing more. That is how the Buddhas and all those who have reached the state of Nirvana (that is Arahants or saints) would visualise their own existence and the world around them.
Thus, when Buddhists speak of “seeing ‘things as they really are’”, what is meant is that one should be able to appreciate the basic composition of everything around us. However, as lay Buddhists, we may not be in the perfect position to do this due to our own ignorance. This can be effectively rectified by improving one’s knowledge using ‘Correct Effort’ or ‘Samma vayama’ on our way in the Noble Eight-fold Path. And this should lead us to ‘see’ in the same vein as the accomplished Arahants did – seeing “things as they really are”. Depending on the state of our own mind, it is likely that we may need considerable effort to achieve this point in understanding.
This brings us tidily to the position that, if everything is only chattari maha bhutam, then nothing can be as valuable or as important as we have led ourselves to believe. This is the teaching that Buddhas profess to the world, so we shall not be disorientated with ignorance: that there is nothing of importance or anything that remains without change, which is the Principle of Impermanence or ‘Anichcha ’.
Buddhists believe in ‘Samsara’–the process of karma and rebirth. This means that they expect that this present existence is neither the beginning of this process nor the end, unless we make an attempt to understand ‘reality’, with the goal of ultimately breaking away from this continuous protracted cycle of birth and death. The ‘reality’ then, is that everything is composed of the chattari mahabhutam, which, in sequence, always ‘arise, continue and then change’, only to perish and reappear again and again. This is impermanence. Nothing impermanent is of any value or significance. So, we seem to have lived an illusion. If nothing is of any significance, then we should not have any attachment or craving to any of these baseless things. In that case, there should be no difficulty in declining any of our ‘possessions’ or even in‘giving up’ everything without any strife. When we are in the position that we are able to ‘see things as they really are’, then we have reached perfect understanding of the teaching of the Buddha. It is up to each one of us to decide whether we want to follow in his footsteps and attempt to ‘renounce’ the world, thus bringing this samsara to an end. Such a decision of course, depends entirely upon you.
May all beings be well and happy!