The Noble Truths and the Path to Nirvana : หน้า 26/263

3. The Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering [dukkhanirodha ariyasacca]; 4. The Noble Truth of the Path to the Cessation of Suffering [dukkhanirodhåkāmıni ariyasacca]. Apart from allowing Prince Siddhattha to attain an end of defilements and become the Buddha, the Middle Way also allowed him to attain Nirvana while still alive [sa-upādisanibbāna] — eradicating all defilements from his mind even before the break up of his own psychophysical constituents or aggregates [khandha]. It also prepared him for the day of his death when he would pass away into permanent Nirvana [anupādisanibbāna] — at the break up of his aggregates and only his body of enlightenment [dhammakāya] remained, the latter would take its place permanently in the sphere of Nirvana [āyatananibbāna]. It is for all these reasons that the Lord Buddha dared to compare the Supreme Dhamma of the Noble Eightfold Path to a precious jewel — because it has the potential to lead whoever practises it to the attainment of Nirvana. These conclusions came from the supreme wisdom of the Lord Buddha. Seeing & Knowing: Three Cycles & Twelve Components The insight gained by the Lord Buddha into the Four Noble Truths, was gained in three successive cycles of examination. Only then did he dare to announce that he had attained Enlightenment. Thus, three cycles of examination of four Noble Truths gives us a total of twelve components in his examination: ______________________________________________________________________________________ 1. The Five Aggregates or Psychophysical Constituents [khandha] consist of the following: 1. Corporeality [ rūpakhandha]; 2. Feeling [vedanākhanda]; 3. Perception [saññākhanda]; 4. Mental Formations [saṅkhārakhanda], and; 5. Consciousness [viññāṇakhanda]. 21