Buddha's Teaching

After reading so many Buddhist sutras like The Heart Sutra, the Lotus Sutra from Mahayana and The Anatta-lakkhana sutta from the Theravada, Buddha had been teaching and emphasising the following.

All component things are impermanent  

All that is subject to arising is subject to cessation. 

To analyze the sentient being into five aggregates. These five are material form, feelings, perceptions, volitional states (or mental formations), and consciousness. 

Three characteristics of existence: Impermanence (Anicca), Unsatisfactoriness or Suffering (Dukkha) and No-self(Anatta).

After contemplating on the concept of No-self, I understand this concept as there is no permanent 'self'. Sentient beings do not have permanent 'self' as they go through cycle of rebirth in the six realms (hell, hungry ghost, animal, human, asura and heavenly beings) and their next rebirth depends on karma. Buddha realised the truth 2500 years ago and it has now recently being verified by many people who survived near-death experience like Doug, Mira, Duane.

Thus Buddha taught the Noble Eightfold path to help sentients beings on cessation

of suffering. The Noble Eightfold path include right view, right thoughts, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right meditation.

Cause and effect are invisible, but powerful forces that rule the universe. 

For this, I am immensely grateful to Sakyamuni Buddha for his compassion and selflessness for teaching the Dharma tirelessly for forty-five years. 

If you understand the above concepts, you will not harm others and break the precepts. 

The Anatta-lakkhana Sutta from the Access to Insight

Seven weeks after the recluse Siddhattha Gotama attained Supreme Enlightenment and came to be known as the Buddha, he gave his first discourse to the group of five ascetics with whom he had been associated six years earlier. These five ascetics were: Kondañña, Bhaddiya, Vappa, Mahanama, and Assaji. By the first discourse, the Buddha set in motion the Wheel of the Law. He explained to the five ascetics why he had discarded the two extremes of indulgence and mortification; he declared that he had discovered the Middle Way, which is the Noble Eightfold Path leading to Enlightenment; he expounded the Four Noble Truths and convinced the five ascetics that he had attained Supreme Enlightenment.

At the end of the first discourse, the "spotless, immaculate vision of the Dhamma" arose in Kondañña, thus: "all that is subject to arising is subject to cessation." The Venerable Kondañña then told the Buddha that he wished to go forth under the Blessed One and asked for Full Admission, which he received. With further instruction by the Buddha, the "spotless, immaculate vision of the Dhamma" arose in the Ven. Vappa, the Ven. Bhaddiya, the Ven. Mahanama, and the Ven. Assaji in this order. They too knew thus: "all that is subject to arising is subject to cessation." These four ascetics, too, expressed their wish to go forth under the Blessed One and asked for Full Admission, which they received.

At this stage, then, the first five disciples of the Buddha had insight only into the impermanence of anything which had a conditioned origin. It was at this stage that the Buddha gave his second discourse. Between the first and second discourses, the Buddha had, in his instructions to the five disciples, analyzed the sentient being into five aggregates. These five were material form, feelings, perceptions, volitional states (or mental formations), and consciousness. The Buddha showed that the sentient being was made up of these five aggregates only. The disciples had to have this knowledge to follow the second discourse.

Having thus instructed the five disciples, the Buddha gave the discourse on the No-self characteristic of existence. No-self is one of the three characteristics of existence, the other two being impermanence and unsatisfactoriness. These three are inter-related and one cannot be taken apart from the other two. They are found only in the teaching of the Buddha.

Impermanence (anicca) may appear obvious to some who see the gross origin and disappearance of animate and inanimate entities. However, the Buddha's teaching goes beyond the gross and obvious and extends also to the mind, including its most subtle and sublime level. He taught that anything which has an origin exists only for a fleeting moment and that what appears to be compact and stable, both animate and inanimate, is from moment to moment arising and perishing. This fact can be experienced by one who follows the Noble Eightfold Path.

Unsatisfactoriness (dukkha) is a fact of life regardless of whether those critical of the Buddha's teaching label this as pessimism or not. The First Noble Truth explains why this existence is essentially unsatisfactory. Some do not accept this view because, for the time being, all appears to be going well for them; some see it in others but do not give it much thought because it does not affect them; some are unable to see this unsatisfactoriness due to mental impairment or gross ignorance; some would accept that life has its suffering and resign themselves to it, stating that it is all due to "original sin." The Buddha did not hesitate to focus full attention on this characteristic of existence and did so because he was aware of its cause and knew that others too could realize this for themselves. The cause of this unsatisfactoriness is found in the other two characteristics of existence.

No-self (anatta) means that there is no permanent, unchanging entity in anything animate or inanimate. With regard to the animate, this implies the absence of a soul which either emanated from a divine source or was created by a divine being. Biblical religions bless only the human being in the whole of the animal kingdom with this soul. The No-self doctrine is found only in the teaching of the Buddha. At least an intellectual grasp of this characteristic of existence is needed to appreciate the Buddha's teaching. It is only when insight is gained in this respect that progress can be made along the Path to full enlightenment.