Aṅguttara Nikāya (AN6.13)- Six Means of Escape from Suffering: Nissaraniya Sutta

Wong Weng Hon

In the early discourse on ‘Six Means of Escape from Suffering’ (Nissaraniya Sutta), Gotama Buddha expounds six pathways to seek happiness and to avoid vexation or suffering (dukkha). They are enumerated as followed:

1. Non-discriminative Lovingkindness
2. Non-discriminative Compassion
3. Non-discriminative Appreciative Joy
4. Non-discriminative Equanimity
5. Discernment of signlessness
6. Annihilation of self-centric ego

 Lovingkindness (Mettā) is virtue of benevolence. It is the attitude of being loving, caring and kind towards others. It is the antidote to malevolence. Lovingkindness is one of the four non-discriminative or boundless virtues of the Brahma-vihāra. The four sublime virtues are non-discriminative Lovingkindness, Compassion, Appreciative Joy and Equanimity. Non-discriminative Brahma-vihār are synonymous with Jesus Christ’s commandment of commanding the Christians of loving the neighbours as if they love themselves. If the virtue of Lovingkindness is directed and empowered by self-centric ego, it is not a non-discriminative or boundless virtue. Such selfish lovingkindness is exercised with an expectation of personal rewards for one’s meritorious actions. Such lovingkindness is defiled and thus still produces kammas. Conversely, selfless lovingkindness is pure and thus karmaless. Non-discriminative lovingkindness is selfless. It is doing good without grasping upon the five aggregates.

 A virtue is only non-discriminative or boundless if and only if the self-centric ego has been annihilated or it is not self-centred. It is only non-discriminative, or boundless if it is established upon the four foundations of mindfulness and clear awareness without grasping upon the five aggregates as this is I; this is mine; this belongs to me. In other words, if Lovingkindness is exercised without grasping upon the five aggregates (pañcakkhandhā), one is released from suffering because of right mindfulness and clear awareness. This is considered the first pathway to seek happiness and to escape from suffering. As the lovingkindness is non-discriminatively applied, the practioner of lovingkinness is free from attachment and hence also free from suffering. Non-discriminative lovingkindness is supported by the wisdom of Equanimity. According to Gotama Buddha, this is the first pathway to seek happiness and avoid suffering.

Likewise, the second pathway to seek happiness and to avoid suffering is non-grasping or selfless Compassion (Karuṇā). Non-discriminative compassion is selfless sympathy towards the sufferings of others. The compassionate one helps the victims without any expectation of reward. Compassion is the antidote to cruelty or violence.The compassionate person helps relief suffering from a distressed victim without the notion of I and you. This is selfless compassion which is non-grasping. It is exercised without any sense of self-centric ego. Thus, it is the second pathway of to seek happiness and avoid happiness.

Appreciative Joy (Muditā) is rejoicing at the success or achievement of others. It is the antidote to jealousy or envy. As it is exercised selflessly without grasping , it is a liberating virtue. The practioner is free from attachment. His Appreciative Joy is supported by the wisdom of Equanimity. This is the third pathway to seek happiness and avoid vexation or suffering.

The fourth path way of emancipation is the wisdom of Equanimity (Upekkhā).Equanimity is the pillar of liberation for the aforementioned three sublime virtues. Any virtue unsupported by Equanimity will lead to liberation from suffering or salvation. Equanimity is neither attachment nor aversion. It is arisen from the wise practice of four foundations of mindfulness which eliminate the self-centric ego. Furthermore, it is invigorated by the intuitive discernment of the Insubstantiality (Anattā) of the five aggregates. Discernment of the Insubstantiality of the five aggregates consummates  the Noble Eight-fold Path(Ariya Aṭṭhaṅgika Magga). As a result, the three-fold training of morality, concentration and wisdom is consummated with the consummation of the Noble Eight Fold Path (Ariya Aṭṭhaṅgika Magga).

I reiterate that Equanimity is the pivot which supports the non-grasping or selfless Lovingkindness, non-grasping or selfless Compassion and non-grasping or selfless Appreciative Joy. Equanimity annihilates the self-centric ego from all actions of a liberated Buddhist practioner.

 Lovingkindness, Compassion and Appreciative Joy are like the metaphor of the three spokes of a wheel connecting the circumference to the centre of the wheel. Equanimity is compared to the metaphor of the centre of the wheel of life. The whole wheel represents the life movement of deliverance. The remaining spokes of the wheel may represent virtues, such as Generosity, Restraint, Patience, Diligence or any virtue.

The fifth pathway to seek happiness and to escape from suffering is the intuitive discernment of signlessness (animitta). It is liberation by the intuitive perception of signlessness. Signlessness is the wise or insightful perception of the Truth of dependently co-arisen Unity or Non-duality. Discernment of signlessness, Unity or Non-duality is synonymous with the intuitive penetration of the Insubstantiality of the five aggregates. Signlessness also connotes that there is no discrete entity which exists autonomously. Individuality or independence, which indicates separate existent or inherent existence, does not exist. This is the key soteriological Truth to be realized.

Individuation rejects Unity. It denies the universal Truth of oneness of the phenomenal world or cosmos. One has to avoid personalizing oneself and avoid individualizing any externally perceived object. In short, duality between the subject ad object must be abandoned to obliterate grasping arisen from the superimposed self-centric ego. The purpose of annihilating personality view (sakkāya diṭṭhi) is to annihilate object reification. Sign of discrete entity can only perceived if and only if it exists independently. However, in truth, there is no such entity in the world that exists separately in the ultimate analysis. The perceived separation or individuality is merely an illusion and an unreality. Every phenomenon is dependently co-arisen from multiple contigent conditions. This is the eternal Truth of Unity or Non-duality expounded by world’s major religions.

The key to liberation to support the aforementioned five pathways of release or emancipation is the sixth pathway of the annihilation of the self-centric ego. This first principle is universally applicable to all esoteric religions. It is the sole pathway of salvation applicable in all religions. The notion of this is I; this is mine or this belongs to me mirrors the illusive empowerment of self-centric ego. Different religions utilize different pathways to annihilate the self-centric ego. Even various and many Buddhist schools or sects prescribe various and many pathways to obliterate the superimposed self-centric ego in order to gain final emancipation. Different religions are different pathways or practices to defeat the self-centric ego. Salvation and self-centric ego are mutually exclusive.

All these different pathways eventually converge to the four establishments of mindfulness (satipaṭṭhāna) and clear awareness. Satipaṭṭhāna is the sole way to obliterate the self-centric ego. This is precisely the reason why the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna (DN22) emphasizes that satipaṭṭhāna is the sole pathway to realize Nibbāna. The four foundations of mindfulness shifts the conceptual or intellectual mind to the intuitive mind in which nibbāna is self-actualized. Psychologically, nibbāna is the complete silence of the chatter of the noisy human mind. Nibbānic achievement implies the consummation of wisdom and virtue of a Man perfected in knowledge and conduct.

 Dhamma is acquired to improve morality and avoid immoral unrestraint. Most importantly, Dhamma realization gives rise to perfection of human wisdom which puts a complete end to vexation or suffering. This is the pragmatic value of Buddhism. It elevates personal wisdom until it is eventually perfected. It harmonizes inter-human relationships and fosters harmony and unity.

These six pathway of liberation from suffering or salvation is, in actuality, the alternative expedient pedagogy to tread on the Noble Eight Fold Path to gain liberation form suffering or salvation. In fact, in the early discourses of Gotama Buddha compiled in the Pāli Nikāyas in the Theravāda tradition, the Exalted Master preached countless pathways or expedient devices (upāyas) to gain Nibbāna. Nibbāna is liberation from suffering or salvation. Any pathway which annihilates the self-centric ego is the pathway of salvation or emancipation. If one apprehends the Truth of Religion, every religion expounds a primary pathway of salvation supported by many other secondary pathways of salvation. This can be metaphorically illustrated by the metaphor of River and its tributaries. All tributaries converge at the main river which flows to the borderless ocean. The tributaries are secondary pathways, the main river is the primary pathway and the borderless ocean is the Nibbāna. Dhamma is beautiful in the beginning, beautiful in the middle and beautiful in the end. Religious discrimination is sheer ignorance.