The Four Noble Truths – Cattāri Ariyasaccāni, are the central teaching of the Buddha. In these Dhamma talks the late Venerable  U Sīlānandābhivaṃsa of Half Moon Bay, California (1927 – 2005) explained clearly this teaching and the practice of Vipassana meditation to understand the deeper meaning of the Four Noble Truths. The reference book used in these talks is The Path of Purification (Visudhimagga) translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Ñaṇamoli with details shown in Chapter XVI, starting from paragraph 13. We’re grateful for Sayādaw U Sīlānandābhivaṃsa’s compassion in spreading the Buddha’s teachings in the West.

The late Venerable Sayādaw U Sīlānandābhivaṃsa ofen said that he wants his students to be well informed buddhist according to the definition of the great commentator Budhaghosa. His objective was to equip his students with the basic understanding of the dhamma so they could deepen their dhamma learning later on.

Sayādaw reminded his students numerous times that a true heir of the Buddha is someone who practices his teachings and not just through book learning. So he made a great attempt to teach his students the Dhamma from both theoritical and practical aspects.

According to the commentaries Buddha went to them on foot on the full moon day of July and on the evening of that day he delivered his first sermon to the five disciples. Since it was his first sermon, it’s important to students of buddhism. In that first discourse he briefly stated that those who have gone forth should not follow the path of sensual enjoyment on one hand and self-modification on the other. He added that by avoiding these two extremes he had realized what he called the middle practice that is popularly known as the middle way.

This sutta is about the precepts and in Buddhism precepts are not like commandments but they are based on comparing oneself with others. By reflecting that what is displeasing and disagreeable to me is also displeasing and disagreeable to others, one abstains from doing these actions, exhorts others to abstain from these actions and then speaks and praises of the abstenance from these actions.

The Buddha and his personal attendant the Venerable Ānanda visited a sick hall (Gellañña) and he gave this sermon to instruct the monks on how to approach death with mindfulness. This sutta is found in Samyutta Nikāya (SN 36.7) and it’s nearly identical to the next sutta (SN 36.8) where the Buddha explains that the pleasant feeling is dependent on contact (phassa) rather than on the body.

This sutta is found in Majjhima Nikāya sutta #74. The Buddha preached this sutta to the wanderer Dighānakha but this sutta helps Sāriputta to gain enlightenment. So although this sutta was not specifically delivered to him he happened to listen to it and following the advice given in the sutta he attained Arahanship.