The Four Noble Truths (The Buddha's Teachings)

AS it has come to be generally, recognized that the Four Noble Truths; the Eightfold Path that leads to the Cessation of Suffering; the Law of Dependent Origination; the Five Aggregates of Attachment, and Nibbana (Skt. Nirvana) are the five essential Doctrines discovered by Gautama Buddha, and cannot be found in any other religions or philosophies, I shall confine myself to these five principal Teachings.

The Basic Principle of Buddhism is that the universe and all sentient life therein are subject to the universal Law of Karma, the Law of Cause and Effect; and that everything we can grasp with our senses arises and ceases in dependence of each other in a long chain of cause and effect without any perceivable break in it.

As no single event is ever isolated, a cause by itself cannot stand as such. Cause and effect; individual life and human body are not entirely different things to be regarded separately, but must be considered in their mutual dependence. All life consists of transformed Energy coming to life in one form, then disintegrating and coming to life again in another form, in another body, and may be even in another realm of existence. This fleeting, ceaselessly changing form of Energy peculiar to individual life consists of Karmic Forces created by the individual himself and are the effects of his former thoughts, words and deeds generated in his past lives which seek expression in his present existence. His will-actions or his individual Karma are caused by craving (Tanha), (sexual craving, the craving for existence and the craving not to be what one dislikes). Craving is also the cause for his Attachment to the “Five Aggregates of Attachment” which constitute his Personality. But as all phenomena and everything he can grasp with his senses are transient and without a self or soul, his attachment to them means sorrow and disappointment.

Ignorance of the “ Three Signs ” inherent in life, namely its Impermanence, its Misery, and its Non-Selfness (Anicca-Dukkha-Anatta) and Attachment to the idea of self are the causes of all sorrow resulting from clinging, to ¢it. It is also the only reason why we are born again and again.

How all this happens and how we should correctly under-stand our own true nature are set forth by the Buddha _in the “Four Noble Truths ” and in the “Law of Dependent Origination ” called the Paticcasamuppado, which are the two fundamental teachings discovered by the Buddha.

THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS

The Buddha’s Doctrine as/the Buddha himself realized, is most difficult to understand and explore for those “who seek pleasure, love and cherish pleasure”. They would hardly understand “the conditioned origination of things ”, “the breaking up of all composed things” (Sankhara); “the rejection of all attachments ”, “ the cessation of desire ”; “ the change—the dissolution——the extinction of everything”. The Buddha realized that if he proclaimed the Dhamma for the first time by expounding “The Law of Dependent Origination” not many would understand him. So he summed up his whole Doctrine in the “Four Noble Truths” and proclaimed the Dhamma for the first time in a Discourse called “the Dhamma-Cakkappavat-tana Sutta” (The Foundation of the Kingdom of Righteousness)-known as “the Four Noble Truths” which contains the very essence of the Buddha’s Doctrine in a most lucid form and irrefutable by the most sceptic and critical mind, yet under-standable by even those who have little general knowledge. All men will readily agree that life means suffering; many too will consent that Craving is the root of all evil, and as to the “Path that leads to the Cessation of Suffering” many seekers of truth will be willing to try it out—as it seems most reasonable and practical.

The “Four Noble Truths” as proclaimed by the Buddha in his first discourse are as follows:

“There are two extremes that he who strives for deliverance should avoid. One extreme, the craving for the satisfaction of passions and other pleasures of the senses, is vulgar, base, degrading and worthless. The other extreme, exaggerated asceticism and self-mortification, is painful, vain and also worthless. Only the Middle Path which the Buddha has found, avoids these two wrong ways and opens the eyes, bestows insight, and leads to wisdom, to deliverance, to enlightenment, to Nirvana.

It is the Noble Eightfold Path, namely, right views, right aspiration, right speech, right deeds, right livelihood, right endeavour, right mindfulness, and right concentration. 

Now, this is the Noble Truth of Suffering:—Birth is suffering,  disease is suffering, death is suffering; sorrow, grief, lamentation,  pain are suffering; union with unpleasant things is suffering;  .separation from the beloved is suffering; unsatisfied desire  is suffering; in short the whole five groups of clinging are  suffering. 

Now, this is the Noble Truth of the Cause of Suffering,  namely, verily it is this thirst, this craving for existence, and  enjoyment which leads to rebirth; seeking R satisfaction now  in this way, now in that. It is the craving for the satisfaction of the passions, the craving for existence in this life or hereafter, and the craving for not to be what one dislikes. 

Now this is the Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering, namely, verily it is the complete destruction, conquering, annihilation of these cravings.

Now this is the Noble Truth of the Path that leads to the  ‘Cessation of Suffering: Verily it is this, Noble Eightfold Path,  namely: right views, right aspiration, right speech, right deeds  right livelihood, right endeavour, right mindfulness, fight  concentration ”.

1. What is the Noble Truth of Suffering? Life from birth to death is suffering—not to attain what one desires, to be separated from those we love; the false belief in the Ego (Self )- all this is suffering.

2. Why do we suffer, what is the Origin of Suffering?  Craving is the root of all Suffering; because it creates in us the false belief in the Self. In our Ignorance we try to hold fast to everything we can grasp and enjoy with our Six-Senses (the mind is called the Sixth Sense). We believe that everything we experience with our senses is experienced by our own Self. In truth, each time it is the sense organ, for instance, the  eye or ear or nose, which sees and hears and smells, not I.  Because of this idea of Self, we become selfish and acquisitive regardless of the sufferings of others. Craving makes us blind against reason and common sense. It creates ill-will, hatred and delusion. Craving prevents us from realizing the fact that everything is transient, miserable and not Self-contained. Our  desire to live causes us to grasp, to be attached to everything  we experience with our senses, and at the moment of death,  this craving for“ Becoming” causes a new being to come into  existence—Rebirth takes place. This process of Birth—Death and Rebirth is called “The Circle of Rebirth”(Samsara). 

3. What is the Cessation of Suffering? It is effected as  follows : Fully aware of the true facts of life, of the Delusion of Self and the impermanence, misery and non-selfness of everything, man ceases to associate his sense-impressions, his feelings, with the idea of self. He becomes more and more non-attached to the sense-impressions of his feelings, of his impressions of the world, and by the practice of self-control and self-restraint he purifies his heart from passions, namely, from greed, hatred and delusion. When there is no more Attachment left in him, no further “Becoming”, no further Birth, Disease, Old Age  and Death can occur. All Suffering is ended. 

4. The Noble Eightfold Path that leads to the Cessation of  Suffering is the way pointed out by the Buddha for achieving  Self-purification, freedom from Passion (Kilesa) and Delusion  (Moha), namely, Right Understanding—Right Mindedness—Right  Attentiveness—and Right Concentration. It is the absolute truth and the only way to Supreme Wisdom and to Salvation from all Suffering. The Eightfold Path is also called “The Middle Path ofEnlightenment” because the Buddha taught how to exercise and develop the mind along the Eightfold Path in gradual stages. As one goes along on the Path, little by little one will make progress in the practice of self-control and gradually attain to greater knowledge and insight in the Buddha-Dhamma.  

Source  : 'Buddhism An Introduction' by Dr. Luang Suruabongs