I stumbled across a new Pali word in my studies recently. This word is one of the Ten Paramitas, or Ten Perfections that one must develop to become a Buddha.
The new word is Sacca (pronounced Suh-cheh), a Pali word meaning “real” or “true.”
Now initially I thought this simply referred to the Noble Truths, and things like Right Speech. But as I study more, I believe this perfection is about ultimate truth. The truth of nonduality.
Now I know that the idea of nonduality feels like a very difficult reality to grasp. Believe me, it is difficult for me also. But lets talk about it for a moment.
What does nonduality mean?
It means that light and shade, long and short, black and white, can only be experienced in relation to each other; light is not independent of shade, nor black of white. There are no opposites, only relationships.
So wouldn’t this mean that there is no Nibbana without Samsara?
Do you see how quickly this became a slippery slope?
But regardless of how this may hurt my brain to think about, I do see this is the ultimate truth. This is the deeper meaning of Sacca.
I see that not only seeing this truth, but accepting the truest reality of it, is what I need focus on in my practice.
This is the truth that we are all connected, that there is no you without me.
And if that seems too far fetched to get your head around, think of other examples.
Would there be happy without sad? Would there be day without night? Would there be cold without warm?
You see there is no separateness unless you create the illusion in your mind.
Now look at how that illusion causes you suffering.
In fact if I were to attempt to sum up the Buddha’s teachings in once sentence, it would probably be “Drop the illusion, see the truth, be free of suffering”.
Please don’t give yourself a headache thinking about this today, I have already done that for you. ;-)
But perhaps you can incorporate Sacca into your daily practice now and let go of a little more Dukkha.
May you be well, happy and peaceful.
“The deepest truth that the Buddha taught was that there is no individual person. This has to be accepted and experienced at a feeling level.”
