Third Noble Truth: There is Freedom

The third noble truth of Buddhism is that there is indeed freedom from suffering!

Truly, since our nature has been Buddha all along, and was only temporarily covered up by karma and klesha, it’s simply coming home once and for all.

The Tibetan word for Buddha is Sang-gye.  “Sang” means to purify, and “gye” means to blossom.  It means that the causes of suffering (2nd noble truth), karma and klesha, have been purified, and so the natural qualities of buddha nature can blossom fully.  The word for “enlightenment” is Changchup, which has a similar meaning.

However, nothing at all has changed in our buddha nature. 

Like it says in the Uttaratantra:

“Having faults that are adventitious

And qualities that are its nature,

It is afterwards the same as before.

This is dharmata ever unchanging.” 

This means that the “faults”, suffering and the causes of suffering, never went all the way down so to speak, but were only adventitious.  And the “qualities” of enlightenment are innate always.  Our buddha nature is the same all along, before and after enlightenment.  The only difference is that it’s now been uncovered.

Before we get too grand though, I want to talk about how each of us has already experienced some level of the third noble truth.  We may not have experienced Buddha’s level of third noble truth---enlightenment---but we’ve certainly experienced something.

Each of us has experienced positive changes in our life since we began practicing, and have definitely seen some gradual reduction of our suffering.  Usually, that’s why we’ve kept doing it, and that is of course our buddha nature at work, shining through. 

For example, if we feel even a little less anxious, a little less trapped in our habitual patterns, a little more aware of our minds, a little more spacious or grounded, etc., etc---that is our experience of the third noble truth.  That is our freedom from suffering. 

The third noble truth is not an all or nothing.  It doesn’t mean that either we’re utterly doomed to samsara, or we’re a full blown buddha.  It means that there is freedom from suffering, and whatever degree we’ve reduced our own suffering on our paths and it’s made a difference in our lives, that is our level and experience of the third noble truth.

In terms of what we call “enlightenment”, it just means that this process can continue all the way until the very roots of suffering are dissolved completely and we’re all the way home, and all the way free.

No more confusion of klesha at all, no more entrapment in karma, just total freedom.  All buddha nature, all the time. 

To the degree we realize that, we can be all the more helpful to others because our activity is no longer bound by karmic conditionings or clouded by klesha, but is wisdom and compassion just helping however is needed, with no limitations. 

There are lots of ways to talk about the qualities of enlightenment, and different texts will give long lists of qualities, which are truly infinite. 

Since we talked a little earlier in this course about the five kleshas (ignorance, aggression, pride, craving, and jealousy), I’d like to talk about enlightenment through the lens of how these kleshas have melted into their true nature of wisdom.

The body of teachings that describes this is called “The Five Buddha Families” and could easily be its own course (and stay tuned, because my plan is to keep teaching online and it will be one!).  For now, I’ll highlight a couple of key points, main one being that within the essence of each of the kleshas is actually a quality of wisdom. 

In other words, even kleshas have buddha nature, and to the degree we’ve realized the third noble truth, that buddha nature is what comes out. 

When the ignorance klesha has been purified---or rather, to the extent it has---we experience what’s called “the all-accomodating wisdom”.  This means the wisdom of space. 

Since we’ve began practicing until now, do we have more space in our minds?  Are our hearts more open?  Are we more open minded?  Can we “hold space” by listening to others?  Are we more comfortable with uncertainty?  More able to simply rest?

All of these, and more, could be ways of experiencing the all-accomodating wisdom.  At the level of a buddha, it means our minds and hearts are infinitely spacious, like the sky itself.

We see this spaciousness in great masters, or sometimes when we walk into very sacred places like Stupas, where often, it’s as if our mind is held and opened into a greater space.

To the extent that the aggression klesha has been purified, we experience the “mirrorlike wisdom”, or the wisdom of clarity.  This means seeing things exactly as they are, like a mirror, free from bias, or limiting karmic conditions or habitual patterns. 

Since we began practicing, do we see more clearly?  Are we able to understand more accurately how our minds and life work?  How social dynamics work?  These, and much more, could be ways of experiencing the mirrorlike wisdom. 

At the level of a buddha, mirrorlike wisdom can understand all the is to know, with perfect clarity, just like water. 

Thich Nhat Hanh did so, so, so incredibly many things in his life, in leaving Vietnam, founding a leading a massive sangha, and teaching all over the world.  Yet as well, somehow, he had an astounding scholastic knowledge of Buddhism, and would regularly quote from source texts written in several different languages. 

To the extent that the pride klesha has been purified, we experience the “wisdom of equanimity”, which means being able to see and appreciate the buddha nature in everything, and being able to relate with all situations with equal skillful means and compassion. 

Since we’ve began practicing until now, are we able to hold more?  Are we able to remain more grounded through thick and thin?  Are we able to appreciate the wisdom of others more, and understand perspectives that are different from our own?  Are we less able to give up on anyone?  These, and more, could be ways of experiencing the wisdom of equanimity. 

At the level of a buddha, the wisdom of equanimity can remain connected to the buddha nature in everything equally.  Because of this, it can be constantly helping it to come out, in all situations, no matter how easy or difficult that is. 

HH the Dalai Lama inherited the leadership of a country experiencing genocide and diaspora as a teenager.  One of the most powerful governments in the world, the Chinese Communist Party, has been trying to destroy him and everything he stands for nearly his entire life.  Yet he’s remained steadfast in his practice and values, and helped spread Tibetan Buddhism farther around the world than it ever was before.

To the extent that the craving klesha has been purified, we experience “the wisdom of discernment”.  This means being able to intuitively know, feel, and discern what is skillful and what isn’t, exactly what is going on, and to draw out the wisdom and gifts of others.  It illuminates, and warms, like fire.

Since we began practicing until now, is our intuition better?  Can we draw out the best in ourselves and others?  Do we know more precisely than we did before?

These, and more, could be ways of experiencing the wisdom of discernment. 

At the level of a buddha, this wisdom can know precisely the qualities of everything and everyone, and exactly how to help.  It can be extremely magnetizing, really drawing out everyone’s wisdom.

Pema Chodron certainly wouldn’t claim to be a Buddha (nor would the Dalai Lama or Thich Nhat Hanh btw), but she’s probably embodied this wisdom more than anyone else in the west.  Her books and teachings have brought hundreds of thousands of people to the dharma, many feeling an immediate sense of comfort and ease as they read them. 

To the extent we’ve purified the klesha of jealousy, we experience the “all-accomplishing wisdom”.  This means freely moving and doing whatever needs to be done, like the wind, without karma and klesha getting in the way, including stopping things that need to be stopped. 

Since we began practicing until now, are we able to do more?  Not as in over-working, but as in more easily getting things done, with more clarity, and less baggage in the way?  Are we more inspired and aligned in our work or activities in life?  More confident in stepping in or stepping up when it’s needed?  All these, and more, are ways we can experience the all-accomplishing wisdom.

At the level of a buddha, it means doing whatever needs to be done, to benefit others, for as long as it takes, until everyone is free.

The monk who ordained me is Thrangu Rinpoche, a great master from the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.  He was raised in Tibet before the genocide, escaped, then taught Buddhism all around the world, founded a huge number of centers, several monasteries, and so much more, until passing away a few years ago.  When he visited our monastery for the last time, he was advanced in age, and we tried to put a lot of rest in his schedule, but he was constantly helping others.  I went to bring him tea and he’d be answering letters from students, talking with leaders from his various places, answering everyone’s questions, then walking into our shrine room and picking up his teachings just where he’d left off before, effortlessly, and taught on a wide range of topics we’d requested.  But the whole time, his presence was totally seamless, joyful, and easeful, and it didn’t seem like he was “working” even slightly.

We’ve all had our own partial experience of the third noble truth, and as we keep practicing, it will just keep expanding further and further.