Encourage, Settle, and Establish for Making The Breakthrough to The Four Noble Truths

Monks, those for whom you have compassion and who think you should be heeded - whether friends or colleagues, relatives or kinsmen - these you should encourage, settle, and establish for making the breakthrough to The Four Noble Truths as they really are.

What four?

The noble truth of discontentedness, the noble truth of the cause of discontentedness, the noble truth of the elimination of discontentedness, the noble truth of the way leading to the elimination of discontentedness.

Those for whom you have compassion and who think you should be heeded - whether friends or colleagues, relatives or kinsmen - these you should encourage, settle, and establish for making the breakthrough to these Four Noble Truths as they really are.

Therefore, Monks, an effort should be made to understand: ‘This is discontentedness’; an effort should be made to understand: ‘This is the cause of discontentedness’; an effort should be made to understand: ‘This is the elimination of discontentedness’; an effort should be made to understand: ‘This is the way leading to the elimination of discontentedness.’

(Reference: SN 56.26)

As one learns, reflects, and practices The Path to Enlightenment, the mind and your life will become more and more peaceful, calm, serene, and content with joy where the mind will completely eliminate all discontent feelings upon the attainment of Enlightenment.

Having made the breakthrough to The Four Noble Truths and progressing towards Enlightenment, you will observe how much discontentedness is in the world and beings roam around unaware of the suffering they are experiencing and causing for themselves.

You may find beings, whether in personal or professional relationships with you, who might listen to your suggestions that you can encourage them to seek guidance in pursuing The Path to Enlightenment, so they can help themselves eliminate all discontentedness in the mind. Because as you observe the life changing improvements to the condition of the mind and your life, would you really choose to leave those who are closest to you struggling with discontentedness or would you instead choose to skillfully introduce them to the option of gaining access to these Teachings?

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares that anyone who is close to us whom we feel would listen to our suggestions we might decide to help them to gain access to learn, reflect, and practice The Teachings on The Path to Enlightenment.

If you choose to introduce the ability for those close to you to learn and practice these Teachings, you may need to consider skillful ways to suggest one learn, reflect, and practice these Teachings as you should not be forceful or pushy in your practice of loving-kindness and compassion to recommending one consider The Path to Enlightenment as a solution to their discontent mind.

1.) Loving-kindness (Pāli: mettā): is active goodwill towards all beings without judgment. A genuine interest in seeing all beings be well.

2.) Compassion (Pāli: karuṇā): is concern for the misfortunes of others.

Those who are not familiar with The Path to Enlightenment and have no exposure to The Buddha’s Teachings, or those who are learning through other traditions of Buddhist Teachings may be uninterested or offended in the recommendation to explore options to improve the condition of their mind and their life. If you choose to be forceful or pushy, this would be due to your own craving/desire/attachment or expectations for a certain outcome and will not result in a wholesome outcome.

Instead, if you are going to present the option for someone to consider these Teachings for their life, it is important that you politely, kindly, friendly, and respectfully find a way to suggest that a person close to you read a book, listen to an audiobook, watch a video, listen to a podcast, attend a class, and/or seek personal guidance with a Teacher who can help them learn, reflect, and practice The Teachings to liberate the mind to Enlightenment.