CH05: Two Truths (Sacca) — Dukkha & Samudaya
At-a-glance: Foundations • Truths that frame the wheel
A. Definition & place in DO
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Two truths in focus: Dukkha-sacca (truth of suffering) and Samudaya-sacca (truth of the origin). In Mogok teaching, these orient what is to be ended and what fuels it.
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Anchor in SN 12: Avijjā is “not knowing dukkha, its origin, its cessation, and the path” (SN 12.2). The forward/cessation chain (SN 12.1) explains how dukkha arises and can cease.
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Where they sit on the wheel (Ch02):
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Dukkha-sacca appears chiefly as Present Effect and Future Effect—especially jāti → jarāmaraṇa with soka-parideva-dukkha-domanassa-upāyāsa (SN 12.1).
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Samudaya-sacca is the Present Cause: taṇhā → upādāna → (kamma)bhava (SN 12.1).
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Canonical detail for “origin” (SN 12.2): Taṇhā is sixfold—craving for forms, sounds, odors, tastes, tangibles, mental-objects; it arises conditioned by feeling (vedanā).
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In brief picture: Dukkha = the experienced burden in the chain; Samudaya = the craving that keeps it spinning.
B. Mechanism (how the truths work in DO)
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From effect back to cause: We meet dukkha as lived vipāka (e.g., painful feeling, loss, aging). Tracing back reveals vedanā → taṇhā as the live hinge (C2).
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Escalation path (SN 12.1/12.2): Vedanā → taṇhā → upādāna → (kamma)bhava → jāti → jarāmaraṇa. Naming this sequence during episodes of stress is the core Mogok move.
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Cessation read: When taṇhā cools, upādāna and bhava do not ignite; the downstream dukkha wanes—“with the cessation of this, that ceases” (SN 12.1).
C. Practice (micro-drills, 1–3 minutes)
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Name the Truth (60–90 sec)
Recall a current stressor. Point to where it sits: “Effect” (dukkha) or “Cause” (samudaya)? If Cause: whisper the chain vedanā → taṇhā → upādāna once; relax jaw/chest/hands. -
Six-Door Sweep (2 min)
For 30 seconds each, scan eye/ear/nose/tongue/body/mind. When any feeling (vedanā) registers, label the pull/push/fog urge as taṇhā. Let it soften before it becomes upādāna. -
Re-frame the Burden (3 min, pair or solo)
Take one item of dukkha (e.g., disappointment). Map it forward/backward:
… vedanā → taṇhā → upādāna → bhava → (projected) jāti → jarāmaraṇa.
Mark the first workable pause (usually vedanā). Rehearse the pause twice.
D. Cross-links
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Ch01 What is DO? (map & scope).
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Ch03 Three Rounds (why dukkha shows as vipāka and samudaya as kilesa).
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Ch04 Two Roots (how avijjā hides the Four Truths; how taṇhā functions as origin).
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Ch15 Vedanā (six classes of feeling per SN 12.2).
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Ch16 Taṇhā (sixfold craving per SN 12.2).
Sources
SN 12.1; SN 12.2; SN 56.11.
QR Footer (left → right)
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Audio
QR-CH05-AUD1
— “Dukkha vs. Samudaya in daily life.” (Alt: “QR to audio: two truths overview”) -
Video
QR-CH05-VID1
— Spotting Effect vs. Cause on the wheel. (Alt: “QR to video: mapping truths to periods”) -
Slides
QR-CH05-PPT1
— Two Truths teaching deck. (Alt: “QR to slides: dukkha & samudaya deck”) -
Prompt
QR-CH05-PRM1
— 60-sec Six-Door Sweep. (Alt: “QR to prompt: vedanā→taṇhā micro-drill”)
Next: Ch06 — Three Connections (C1, C2, C3): Where the hand-offs happen.