Four Noble Truths: the message unpacked

Dharmachari Seven

The most fundamental message of the Buddha is that he only taught two things -- Suffering and, more importantly, the End of Suffering.

What is the teaching of suffering (dukkha)?

FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS

• Things are unsatisfactory (Dukkha)
• They are unsatisfactory for a reason (Tanha)
• There is an end to the unsatisfactoriness (Nirvana)
• There is path to the end (Magga)

1. What is suffering? Many people may many things. But the Buddha defined exactly what he meant by dukkha:

• Idam kho pana, bhikkhave, dukkham ariyasaccam: jātipi dukkhā, jarāpi dukkhā, byādhipi dukkho, maranampi dukkham, appiyehi sampayogo dukkho, piyehi vippayogo dukkho, yampiccham na labhati tampi dukkham: samkhittena pañcupādānakkhandhā dukkhā.

"This, monks, is the Noble Truth of Suffering: birth is suffering, aging is suffering, disease is suffering, death is suffering, association with the unwanted is suffering, separation from the wanted is suffering, not getting what one wants is suffering, in brief the Five Aggregates of grasping are suffering."

2. What is the cause of suffering? There are multiples causes, but fundamentally it is craving (tanha = "thirst"). Craving for what causes suffering? It is craving for sensual pleasure, craving for continued existence, and craving for non-existence (when we don't get what we want). There are three causes of suffering, which are the three causes of all bad karma: desire (greed), dislike (hatred and fear), and delusion (ignorance). Craving is an immediate cause, for without craving there is no discontent.

3. What is the complete and final "end of suffering"? It is nirvana.

• Idam kho pana, bhikkhave, dukkhanirodham ariyasaccam: yo tassāyeva tanhāya asesavirāganirodho cāgo patinissaggo mutti anālayo.

"This, monks, is the Noble Truth of the Cessation of suffering: the cessation of craving without any remainder, giving it up, renouncing it, and complete freedom from it."

4. What is the way that leads to the end of suffering? It is the Noble Eightfold Path. Each factor is defined by the Buddha and not open to a great deal of interpretation. These eight factors are not what they sound like. The factors are sound simple because they are poor translations of very exact Buddhist terms. Those terms are not in dispute. For example, "right thought" (also called "right intention") means "thoughts of renunciation, thoughts of non-harming, and thoughts of non-cruelty"). And "right effort" means "the effort to avoid and abandon unwholesome states and the effort to maintain and develop wholesome ones." Neither of these refer to other intentions or efforts. They are simply straightforward terms. An excellent and very brief summary is these eight terms is found in the Buddhist Dictionary under the word "magga" (path).

• NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH

1. right view
2. right thought
3. right speech
4. right action [Five Precepts]
5. right livelihood
6. right effort
7. right mindfulness
8. right concentration

Related

• The Buddha's First Sermon (Ñanamoli Thera)
• Exposition on the First Sermon (Bhikkhu Pesala)
• Noble Eightfold Path (Bhikkhu Bodhi)