Blinded by Avijjā, nourished by craving, attracted to pleasing the Indriya, extremely trade-oriented today’s world society plummeting from chaos to chaos is on a very dreadful destructive path. Primarily focusing on one of the two extremities the Buddha had advised to avoid, “Kāma-sukhallikānuyoga” or pleasing the Indriya excessively, considering the acquisition of means for doing that as existence the society is competing for physical wealth.
Therefore, what is remaining today is only mental restlessness, distress, illusory bankruptcy, heart problems, high blood pressure, cholesterol, cancer, diabetes, obesity, gastritis, and nerve weakness, and are plagued with many diseases such as weakening bone diseases. The intelligent people who have suffered in such a surrounding, are today searching for methods to free themselves from it. They have come to an understanding that chasing after physical wealth does not bring happiness. Therefore, we see many people focusing on internal spiritual development today.
The Dhamma expounded about 2550 years ago in a surrounding like this by the great Sage who became to be known as “Gautama The Buddha” has earned today a unique position. The world inherently consists of dukkha, the cause is Tanhā, dukkha is destroyable by destroying Tanhā, and the Path very clearly declared for ending suffering, which is known as Caturārya Satthiyaya (the four noble truths): the buddha‘ Dēshanā.
Today, the pristine Caturārya Satthiyaya Dhamma is obliterated, instead, it has become a religion overflowing with offerings, pūjā, prayers, chanting, confession of Pāpa, and rites and rituals, etc. This is identified as ‘Buddhism‘. This Buddhism has spread around the world merging with various cultures and customs signifying different facets. Even to determine what the Buddha had actually expounded is difficult today. Because of that, it has become a dilemma in reaping the actual happiness of that the dhamma proclaimed by Gautama The Buddha could derive.
The Buddha had said that Caturārya Satthiyaya, which is a very fine dhamma found within about 6-ft long one‘s own body, unperceivable to Indriyas: eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind must be seen and understood within oneself and by own intelligence after training well sticking on to the advice and guidance of teachers with practical experiences (‘Ariyas‘: The noble beings who are or have completed the noble path of practice proclaimed by The Buddha). Therefore, it‘s not even a question, that it can be found outside one’s own body.
However, in lieu of realizing the dhamma by practicing per advice given in Buddha Dēshanā, today people (both monks and laymen) who seek rewards, respect, fame, and praise are preaching to the public their very own ideas, as a compilation of words memorized from books distorting the very pristine Caturārya Satthiyaya dhamma declared by Gautama The buddha as the dhamma proclaimed by the Buddha. This is nothing but dogma. Therefore, finding and understanding the true pristine Dhamma declared by the Buddha has become a difficult task.