What are the Four Noble Truths?

Posted on July 28, 2007 in Buddhism Concepts

The Four Noble Truths encapsulate the central essence of Buddhism. Considered as the most fundamental teaching of the Buddha, the Four Noble Truths was the direct culmination of the Buddha’s experiences of the Four Noble Sights.

The first sermon, also known as "Setting in Motion the Wheel of Law", was delivered by the Buddha to five ascetics in a deer park near Benares, after his enlightenment. This was based on his realization of the Four Noble Truths:

The First Noble Truth has three aspects: There is suffering (Dukkha); Dukkha should be understood; and Dukkha has been understood. The first aspect underlines that birth, ageing, sickness, dissociation from the loved ones, and not getting what one wants are all characterized by “clinging”, and are thus forms of suffering. The second aspect explains that understanding suffering should be based on vision, insight, wisdom, and knowledge. Only then can one claim to have understood suffering through these insights.

The second Noble Truth has three aspects: There is a cause to suffering and the cause is attachments to Desire; Desire should be done away with; and Desire has been done away with. Desire, which is the cause to suffering is of three kinds: Desire for pleasure (kama tanha), desire to become (bhava tanha), and desire to get rid of (vibhava tanha).

The Third Noble Truth has three aspects: There is cessation of suffering; Cessation of suffering should be realized; and the cessation of suffering has been realized.

The Fourth Noble Truth has three aspects: There is the Eightfold Path to end suffering; This path should be developed; and this path has been fully developed. The Eightfold Path which is also called the Ariya Magga (the Ariyan or Noble Path) reflects the Buddha’s final solution to end suffering. Grouped under three categories, the Buddha prescribes in the Eightfold path:

Wisdom (panna)

Morality (sila)

Concentration (samadhi)

These basic expressions of the Buddha should be best understood, not as beliefs, but as categories of experiences which does not depend on any metaphysical speculation or belief.

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