GOAL

THE GOAL

  THE Blessed One thus addressed the bhikkhus: "It is through not

understanding the four noble truths, O bhikkhus, that we had to wander

so long in the weary path of samsara, both you and I.

  "Through contact thought is born from sensation, and is reborn by

a reproduction of its form. Starting from the simplest forms, the mind

rises and falls according to deeds, but the aspirations of a

Bodhisattva pursue the straight path of wisdom and righteousness,

until they reach perfect enlightenment in the Buddha.

  "All creatures are what they are through the karma of their deeds

done in former and in present existences.

  "The rational nature of man is a spark of the true light; it is

the first step on the upward road. But new births are required to

insure an ascent to the summit of existence, the enlightenment of mind

and heart, where the immeasurable light of moral comprehension is

gained which is the source of all righteousness. Having attained

this higher birth, I have found the truth and have taught you the

noble path that leads to the city of peace. I have shown you the way

to the lake of ambrosia, which washes away all evil desire. I have

given you the refreshing drink called the perception of truth, and

he who drinks of it becomes free from excitement, passion, and

wrong-doing.

  "The very gods envy the bliss of him who has escaped from the floods

of passion and has climbed the shores of Nirvana. His heart is

cleansed from all defilement and free from all illusion. He is like

unto the lotus which grows in the water, yet not a drop of water

adheres to its petals. The man who walks in the noble path lives in

the world, and yet his heart is not defiled by worldly desires.

  "He who does not see the four noble truths, he who does not

understand the three characteristics and has not grounded himself in

the uncreate, has still a long path to traverse by repeated births

through the desert of ignorance with its mirages of illusion and

through the morass of wrong. But now that you have gained

comprehension, the cause of further migrations and aberrations is

removed. The goal is reached. The craving of selfishness is destroyed,

and the truth is attained. This is true deliverance; this is

salvation; this is heaven and the bliss of a life immortal."