Amata means ‘deathless’ or ‘undying’; amata-dhamma is the dhamma (phenomena, reality) that doesn’t die. And what is that? The Buddha once said, ‘The cessation of greed, hatred, and delusion is amata-dhamma.’

This Dhamma, said to resemble a raft, is just as applicable for householders as it is for home-leavers.* If we are to answer in accordance with what the Buddha taught, then we must say, ‘Householders should study all the suttantas, that is, the heart of the Tathāgata’s discourses concerning suññatā (emptiness).’

The Buddha said, ‘Dhamma may be compared to a raft.’ He used the word ‘raft’ because in those days rafts were commonly used for crossing rivers, and this explanation of Dhamma as a raft could be readily understood.

We answer this by quoting the Buddha once again, ‘In this fathom-long body together with awareness and intelligence.’ We learn in a human body accompanied by awareness and knowing. This means a living person, specifically, oneself.

The Buddha explained how to practice in succinct and complete terms. When seeing a visual object, just see it. When hearing a sound with the ears, just hear it. When smelling an odor with the nose, just smell it. When tasting something by way of the tongue, just taste it. When experiencing a tactile sensation by way of the general skin and body sense, just experience that sensation. And when a mental object, such as a sorrowful thought, arises in mind, just know that mood of sorrow.

That nothing should be grasped at or clung to is a handy maxim from the mouth of the Buddha himself. We don’t need to waste time in searching through the Tipiṭaka (the recorded Teaching), because this one short statement puts it all quite clearly.

By contrast, the middle way consists of, on one hand, not creating hardships for ourselves and, on the other hand, not indulging in sensual pleasures to our heart’s content. Walking the middle way brings about conditions that are in every way conducive to study and practice, and to success in putting an end to dukkha (suffering).

The best way of answering is to quote the Buddha himself, ‘Monks, now, as in the past, I teach only dukkha (suffering, distress) and the quenching of dukkha.’