Way Without Extremes

It is not that the Buddha dislikes the idea of us living a happy life by telling us not to enjoy ourselves in sensual pleasures. On contrary, he himself led the happiest of live in nekkhamma sukha (happiness in renunciation).

He only advises us to abandon kama sukha, to abandon the desire for and attachment to desirable objects, not the things themselves. Remember that for 29 years as a layman, he had lived very luxuriously. But had he remained a prince, he would never have realized the Dhamma.

Being completely free from all attachment, the Buddha himself was always in a state of freedom. Seeing a desirable or undesirable object, he had neither attachment nor aversion. Yet, he could appreciate beauty as beauty. A deity Pancasikha once sang and played the harp beautifully for the Buddha. He praised the deity but he did not ask to listen more of it.

All indulgence in one's sensual desires can only end in bad result and is thus not beneficial. At the same time the Buddha realized that the other extreme in the austere practice of self-torture was futile. after six years of trying it out for himself, he could not even walk, only mental strength was left at the end. He began having doubts.

Thinking there must be another more correct way for enlightenment, he then changed to anapanassati. Within two weeks ending on the full moon day of Wesak, he attained enlightenment

It is the Buddha's systematic way of teaching to first point out of harmful, then the beneficial: the former being more important due to the harm it causes. First what not to do and next what should be done. In this way, the two extremes of self-indulgence and self torture are dealth wi first before he introduces his method of the Middle Path.

This begins of course with right seeing in contrast to the usual deluded way of looking at things. How do we get the means of this right seeing as a start? By learning and listening to the Dhamma and by meditation.

The later by itself isn't enough. Without learning we wouldn't know the way, like travelling in unknown territory without a road map.

However, right vision needs the help of other factors - the seven others of the Noble Eightfold Path. One is right thought. Wrong thought would only lead to wrong understanding. And to have right thought, we need to have morality. If not, in breaking the precepts, we can only have evil thoughts.

So, we need right speech, right action together with right livelihood. If these three factors aren't right, all thoughts would be wrong. For right seeing too, we need right mindfulness to see things as they really are because they are mutually related.

At the same time, to be mindful, we need right effort to keep the mind from being scattered, thus attaining right concentration. Thus all are necessary and mutually linked.

Study and practice are indispensable to remove two problematic roots of ignorance (avijja) and craving (tanha).

As avijja conceals truth, that is its nature, that is where tanha is strong and flourishes. As we practice to realize the nature of sense objects, finding their faults through mindfulness (samma sati) meditation, the link between feeling and the resultant craving can be cut.

Thus, through mindfulness we can lose our attachment. In removing our craving for desirable objects, we are much like a couple who after their divorce are no longer attached to each other.

Therefore, through practice reinforced by learning the Dhamma, we can lead a peaceful life, be detached from any object, and be rid of worries. That is the purpose of Dhamma practice.