The Four Noble Truths:
Path to inner peace
The teachings on the four noble truths are among the very first of
many teachings that Shakyamuni Buddha gave in Sarnath (near Benares or
Varanasi in North-East India), seven weeks after attaining enlightenment
in Bodhgaya.
These teachings are known to contain the essence of the Buddhist
path, regardless of the tradition one follows.
1.THIS IS SUFFERING
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. This mean that at best, we can only find temporary
happiness and pleasure in life.
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 being reborn in a different body, which will also
experience problems.
Note that "suffering" is a most inadequate translation of the word "Dukkha",
but it is the one most commonly found. "Dukkha" literally means
"intolerable", "unsustainable", "difficult to endure", and can also mean
"imperfect", "unsatisfying", or "incapable of providing perfect
happiness". Interestingly enough, some people actually translate it as
"stress".
"Suffering is a big word in Buddhist thought. It is a key term and it
should be thoroughly understood. The Pali word is dukkha, and it does
not just mean the agony of the body. It means that deep subtle sense of
unsatisfactoriness which is a part of every mind moment and which
results directly from the mental treadmill. The essence of life is
suffering, said the Buddha. At first glance this seems exceedingly
morbid and pessimistic.
It even seems untrue. After all, there are plenty of times when we
are happy. Aren't there. No, there are not. It just seems that way. Take
any moment when you feel really fulfilled and examine it closely. Down
under the joy, you will find that subtle, all-pervasive undercurrent of
tension, that no matter how great this moment is, it is going to end.
No matter how much you just gained, you are either going to lose some
of it or spend the rest of your days guarding what you have got and
scheming how to get more. And in the end, you are going to die. In the
end, you lose everything. It is all transitory." (Henepola Gunaratana,
from 'Mindfulness in Plain English')
2. THE CAUSES OF SUFFERING
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 negative action (karma) we do, we create a potential for negative
experiences.
How can attachment bring us suffering ? We just have to think of
chocolate and there is 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, which does not bring us continuous
happiness. 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 we create harm to others, so logically it is 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 the way it is. So we often end up in situations
where we do not take the best actions.
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).
3. SUFFERING CAN END, NIRVANA IS PEACE
This is the most positive 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.
4. 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 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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