Understanding the Characteristics of the Noble Truth of Cessation through the Four Aspects

Original text of the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Volume Thirty-Four:于集谛相正觉了已。复正觉了如是集谛无余息灭。故名为灭。一切苦谛无余寂静。故名为静。即此灭静是第一故。是最胜故。是无上故。说名为妙。是常住故。永出离故。说名为离。如是行者由四种行了灭谛相。

Explanation: The mark of the truth of cessation is understood through the four practices of cessation (nirodha), tranquility (praśama), excellence, and release. After correctly and truly understanding and awakening to the mark of the truth of origination, one must further correctly and truly awaken to the four practices of the truth of cessation. When the truth of origination is completely extinguished and brought to rest, it is called cessation; when the truth of origination no longer aggregates, suffering ceases. When all of the truth of suffering has ceased with no remaining suffering, there is then tranquility—there is no longer any creation by the five aggregates nor any suffering endured by the five aggregates; this is called tranquility. When the truth of suffering is thus extinguished and tranquil, it is the foremost in the world, the most excellent, the unsurpassed, and is therefore called excellence. After the truth of suffering is extinguished, there is no remaining suffering, and suffering will never arise again; such a state exists forever, having forever departed from suffering, and is therefore called release. In this way, the yogic practitioner understands the mark of the truth of cessation through the four practices of cessation, tranquility, excellence, and release.

The cessation of suffering comes about because origination has ceased—no longer aggregating the formations of suffering. The bodily, verbal, and mental actions of the five-aggregate body are all formations of suffering, especially unwholesome and bad bodily, verbal, and mental actions. When the mind does not grasp at and pursue the worldly dharmas of the five aggregates, suffering is not aggregated, and tranquility is attained. After the mind attains tranquility, there is freedom and liberation; within the world this is wondrous, because the world is universally full of grasping and suffering—without tranquility, without freedom, without liberation—so life is not wondrous. A life of liberation and freedom is the foremost and most excellent in the world, and therefore sublime. After the cessation of suffering and liberation, there will no longer be any feeling of suffering; liberation is liberation forever, never regressing back into the realm of ignorance and afflictions, forever free from suffering—therefore it is called release. In this way, the mark of the truth of cessation is very clearly revealed through the four practices of cessation, tranquility, excellence, and release.