The Way Leading To Freedom From Suffering

Karma, Volitional Formations, Dependent Origination, The Defilements and The Four Noble Truths

If we consider/ meditate upon the essential nature of emptiness it leads us to understand that the world is Maya, illusion.

There is no one thing that exists independently of another, all are connected in a Web of cause and effect stretching back in time to our earliest ancestors. However, nothing exists in and of itself.

'Dependent Origination' follows the Buddha's central teaching that what arises must also cease and this relates to all phenomenon in this world.

Nothing exists in and of itself but as a direct relational artefact of each element in the world affecting each other. It is very much a "this then that" dynamic that reveals all phenomenon to exist in an interdependent system of fractals, effectively underlining the nature of our universe as a holographic simulated reality.

This also follows the Observer Effect and "collapse of the wave function." The mere presence of consciousness effects reality at a quantum level. A photon is only a photon when observed to behave as a photon. Otherwise light behaves as a wave, and this is illustrated in the Double Slit Experiment in quantum mechanics.

According to Buddhism 'Volitional Formations' are wholesome and unwholesome activities of body, speech and mind and consist of the bodily formations, verbal formations and mental formations. Depending upon one's state of ignorance and predisposition through conditioning, desire and attachment, the Volitional Formations can be said to be either wholesome or unwholesome.

'Volitional Formations' are the essence of how we are able to influence the simulation, once again underlying the basis that consciousness is fundamental to reality which is a probabilistic fully immersive and interactive simulation. It is further proposed that reality is produced for the exercise of consciousness in the process of its evolution. (My previous articles deal with this in greater detail).

Karma relates to the universal law of cause and effect and reflects the principle of Reap As You Sow; it relates to how volitional formations create the conditions and the course of direction of awareness. In this way it can be said that we are cocreators of our reality by setting into motion a sequence of events that bring about the conditions of our lives.

Consciousness gains volition in the interdependent nature of our virtual world and shapes physical material reality as we know it to exist.

How choices are made and learning follows consequences catalyses growth that evolves the consciousness, so that it may move beyond cause and effect towards enlightenment.

According to Buddhism there are three defilements that affect the outcomes or Kamma of unwholesome activities, and these are Greed, Hatred and Delusion.

Delusion, greed and hatred are states of consciousness arising out of ignorance, which further gives rise to suffering.

According to Buddhism suffering arises in the world through ignorance because of attachment to the idea of a separate self. One of the central tenets of Dependent Origination is that nothing exists separately and it is delusional to believe otherwise.

Nothing encapsulates this condition of delusion more than the proliferation of egoism in culture and thus suffering is an artefact of existence in the world. This is what is known in Buddhism as The First Noble Truth, which is "There is Suffering."

If therefore ego gives rise to suffering by clinging to the desire to propagate a sense of separate identity, the cessation of suffering is non attachment. It can be said that clinging to the desire for a separate self brings upon the condition of suffering so therfore the absence of a separate self leads to non suffering.

Meditating upon nothingness helps to bring about a state of equanimity that enables the practitioner to be in the world but not of it. There is no identification with the world and no attachment to the effects of existence within it.

It can be said that arising out of ignorance is the delusional idea that one is a separate ego self. This is a learned condition of western societies that was not vigorously enforced by indigenous cultures. It is important to understand that this state of ignorance is induced through one's conditioning, or by the Volitional formations active in its environment, recycled and perpetuated by repetition, that promotes the delusional belief of a separate self. This is imposed on an entity by it's society in order that the person fulfil its social obligations to its collective vis a vis as a source of labour and breadwinner for the family nexus.

In wisdom it is possible for instance that someone might still know oneself as the label of Fred or Sally but at the same time have no attachment to who Fred or Sally is as a separate independent phenomenon, except as a demand and expectation placed upon it by it's culture through the Volitional formations in its environment.

The idea of Fred and Sally were created in the mind and depended upon such labels being introduced, promoted through expectation and obligation, taken on, accepted and imbued with personal identity and meaning, but never existed in the first place except within the mind. The idea was adopted as though it were true and thus arose the delusion of separate existence enabling the identity to now fulfil roles in the collective.

Prosperity and security of the modern Nation State is attained by ensuring well adjusted members of its work and security forces. Social scientists with the target of promoting delusional states of consciousness in children, adolescents and adults are only regarded successful based upon their ability to promote learning at every stage of the socialisation process. In this manner scientists are the high priests of our modern world who function to facilitate well adjusted members of society in order that they fulfil a series of roles.

Due to the arising of technology however, the modern world now finds itself in a surplus to demand for such well adjusted members of society. Jobs must be found to keep the masses happy and industry is having a net negative impact on the world. This has brought about the idea amongst the ruling classes and promoted amongst scientists that populations must be controlled and reduced.

Due to ignorance which gives rise to greed, hatred and delusion, life itself is suffering. It can be said that whilst it is profitable to the rulers of this world that the masses exist in peaceful delusion, it is now also beneficial that suffering be increased and population reduced.

We all bear witness to the unfolding tragedies in the Middle East and elsewhere as well as it's knock on effect throughout the world. We are not all hopelessly ignorant and so therefore the masses can still effect change in it's environment to bring about world solutions that do not necessitate ever increasing levels of suffering and death.

When the three defilements are dropped at a personal level amongst many of the masses in the populations, and there is great wisdom across the world, all life and the planet itself can be nurtured and can prosper. It is incumbent upon humanity to lift itself out of ignorance, to discard the three defilements and to bring an end to madness. The rulers of this world are selfish and greedy out of ignorance and they have no compassion. It is out of their own suffering that they inflict suffering upon the masses. Their greatest fear is that they do not exist but as a figment of their own imaginations. They are filled with great darkness and ignorance which they will do anything whatsoever to avoid facing. In their delusional states of mind they see themselves as kings and God's but the truth is that they are simply selfish, ignorant and full of hatred and greed. But for them equally as the lowest of men upon this planet the way leading to the cessation of suffering is the same. This is the Fourth Noble Truth and there is but to follow The Eightfold Path.

Kamma is the principle that whatever unwholesome actions we give rise to are Volitional Formations that must be corrected or we shall be trapped by Samsara upon the wheel of death, life and rebirth until they are. We will be forced by the volition of our own kamma to undergo countless lives of suffering. This is the ultimate truth about existence, that what arises must also cease.

These are my interpretation of the Buddhist views propagated since 600 years prior to the birth of Yeshua, known in Jedeo-Christian theology as Jesus.

In those simple times there was little cross transference nor interference of teachings and knowledge, and so they represent a purity of wisdom that is untainted by the dark ages of ignorance and greed that have superseded it. Most of these teachings are as valid in the present day as when they were first introduced.

The following slides are for further study and research: