The teachings of Ajahn Jayasāro.

The teachings of Ajahn Jayasāro.

There is no way out of suffering for those who identify with it, or those who deny it.  There is no way out of suffering for those who consider it a random occurrence, or those who see it as a test or a punishment from a supreme being.  

There is a way out of suffering for those who gain faith in the Buddha's analysis of suffering as a conditioned state and who follow the Eightfold Path.  In the Upanisa Sutta, the Buddha revealed the causal process involved:

"With faith as proximate cause, well-being.

With well-being as proximate cause, zest.

With zest as proximate cause, tranquillity.

With tranquillity as proximate cause, happiness.

With happiness as proximate cause, samādhi.

With samādhi as proximate cause, the knowledge and vision of things as they really are.

With the knowledge and vision of things as they really are as proximate cause, disenchantment.

With disenchantment as proximate cause, dispassion.

With dispassion as proximate cause, liberation.

With liberation as proximate cause, the knowledge of ending."

"It's like when it rains heavily on a mountain top, and the water flows downhill to fill the hollows, crevices and creeks.  As they become full, they fill up the pools.  The pools fill up the lakes, the lakes fill up the streams, and the streams fill up the rivers.  And as the rivers become full, they fill up the ocean."

~ Ajahn Jayasāro

11th November, 2022