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General
Buddhism |
Namo Dharmaya!
Hail to the Teachings
THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
CONTENTS
Introduction
This is suffering
The causes of suffering
Suffering can end, nirvana is peace
The true path or eight-fold noble path
The teachings on the four noble truths are among the very first of many teachings that Shakyamuni Buddha gave, seven weeks after attaining enlightenment in Bodh Gaya. They are said to contain the essence of the Buddhist path, regardless of the tradition one follows.
According to the Buddha, whatever life we lead, it has the nature of some aspect of suffering. Even if we consider ourselves happy for a while, this happiness is transitory by nature. Often, if we have a problem in the world, it is not because the world is what it is, but the fact that we do not accept that the world (as we experience it) is unsatisfactory or suffering by nature. The fact that we suffer or are happy depends entirely on our own state of mind.
Suffering (or unsatisfactoriness) can be distinguished in three types:
1. Suffering of suffering: this refers to the most obvious aspects like pain,
fear and mental distress.
2. Suffering of change: refers to the problems that change brings, like joy
disappears, nothing stays, decay and death.
3. All-pervasive suffering: this is the most difficult to understand aspect,
it refers to the fact that we always have the potential to suffer or can get
into problematic situations. Even death is not a solution in Buddhist philosophy,
as we will simply find ourselves reborn in a different body.
To illustrate this with the words of the 7th Dalai Lama (from 'Songs of spiritual change' translated by Glenn Mullin:
"Hundreds of stupid flies gather
On a piece of rotten meat,
Enjoying, they think, a delicious feast.
This image fits with the song
Of the myriads of foolish living beings
Who seek happiness in superficial pleasures;
In countless ways they try,
Yet I have never seen them satisfied."
The reason that we experience suffering comes ultimately from our mind. According to Buddhism, our main mental problems or root delusions are: attachment, anger and ignorance. Because of these delusions, we engage in actions that cause problems to ourselves and others. With every action we do, we create karma, which can give positive or negative results. (See also the page on karma.)
How can attachment bring us suffering?
We just have to think of chocolate and the temptation of eating more than is
good for us.
Or as example, my favourite story: the way people used to catch monkeys in South
India. One takes a coconut and makes a hole in it, just large enough that a
monkey can squeeze its hand in. Next, tie the coconut down, and put a sweet
inside. What happens next is pure attachment. The monkey smells the sweet, puts
his hand into the coconut, grabs the sweet and ... the hole is too small to
let a fist out of the coconut. The last thing a monkey would consider is to
let go of the sweet, so it is literally tied down by its own attachment. Often
they only let go when they fall asleep or become unconscious because of exhaustion.
Ultimately, the Buddha explains that our attachment to life keeps us in cyclic existence or samsara.
How can anger bring us suffering?
As will be explained in the page on karma, all of our
actions have consequences. Doing harm to others will return to us as being harmed.
Anger is one of the main reasons for creating harm to others, no wonder it is
so often the cause of suffering to ourselves.
How can ignorance bring us suffering?
This is explained in two ways:
The conventional explanation is to understand is that because we are not omniscient, we regularly get ourselves into trouble. We do not realise all the consequences of our actions, we do not understand other beings and we do not understand why the world is exactly how it is. So we often end up in unpleasant situations. Just reflect for a moment how often we think: "If only I had known this earlier..."
The more complicated explanation refers to the most profound aspect of Buddhist philosophy: ultimate truth or emptiness. This is a vast subject, and also after reading the page on wisdom it is unlikely that you will be completely clear; it takes years of study and meditation to realise the insight into the wisdom of emptiness. To put it very simple: reality is not what it seems to us. As reality is different from our opinions about it, we get ourselves into trouble. As long as we fail to realise the ultimate truth, we will be stuck in cyclic existence. While being in cyclic existence, we will always experience some aspect of suffering (which is at least having the potential for future suffering).
SUFFERING CAN END, NIRVANA IS PEACE.
This is the best message of Buddhism: although suffering is always present
in cyclic existence, we can end being in cyclic existence and enter Nirvana,
which is a state beyond all suffering.
The reasoning behind this Third Noble Truth is the fact that as suffering and
the causes of suffering are dependent on states of our own mind, then if we
can change our own mind, we can also eliminate suffering.
The reasons we do actions that cause ourselves and others harm come from our
delusions. Also our delusions themselves cause us problems. When we possess
the proper wisdom (conventional and ultimate), we can rid ourselves of delusions,
and thus of all our problems and suffering. When this process is complete, we
can leave cyclic existence and enjoy the state of Nirvana, free of problems.
The reasoning so far is simple enough, but it is like with taking medical treatment and medicines. When we are ill, we need the help of a doctor, we need to take medicines and follow up the doctors advice. If wisdom is the medicine that a spiritual teacher can prescribe, we still need to take it in and follow the instructions, otherwise there will be no effect. That leads us to the last Noble Truth of the Path.
THE TRUE PATH, OR EIGHT-FOLD NOBLE PATH
If we can control our body and mind in a way that we help others instead of doing them harm, and generating wisdom in our own mind, we can end suffering and problems.
The Buddha summarised the correct attitude and actions in the Eight-fold Noble
Path:
1. Correct thought: avoiding covetousness, the wish to harm others and wrong
views (like: actions have no consequences, I never have any problems, there
are no ways to end suffering etc.)
2. Correct speech: avoid lying, divisive and harsh speech and idle gossip.
3. Correct actions: avoid killing, stealing and sexual misconduct
4. Correct livelihood: try to make a living with the above attitude of thought,
speech and actions.
5. Correct understanding: developing genuine wisdom.
The last three aspects refer mainly to the practice of meditation:
6. Correct effort: after the first real step we need joyful perseverance to
continue.
7. Correct mindfulness: try to be aware of the "here and now", instead of dreaming
in the "there and then".
8. Correct concentration: to to keep a steady, calm and attentive state of mind.
The Buddha explained that one can use the Four Yardsticks to assess
if one is practising the correct way:
one should feel happiness, compassion, love and joyous effort
when practising
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Last updated: January 26, 2001
