The Four Noble Truths
The core of the teachings of the Supreme Buddha is the “Four Noble Truths”. They are referred to as “Nobel Truths” because they are the absolute truths that nobody can deny. What that means is they are true at all times, in the past, in the future and at present. They are true to every man and woman irrespective of the nationality, ethnicity, faith, color and any other difference of human beings that one would recognize. They are true during the times of a Buddha’s dispensation as well as in the absence of a Buddha’s dispensation.
The Four Noble Truths are,
The Noble Truth of Suffering: The Buddha explained birth is suffering; aging is suffering; sickness is suffering; death is suffering; separation from the loved is suffering; association with unloved is suffering; not getting what is liked is suffering; sorrow, pain and lamentation is suffering; and five-aggregates-afflicted by clinging (i.e. form, feeling, perception, volitional formations and consciousness) is suffering.
The teachings of the Buddha discusses the same suffering that everybody experiences everyday in one or another form. The physical and mental pain we experience is a result of aging, sickness, death, separating from loved or association with unloved.
The Noble Truth of Origin of Suffering: Craving is the origin of the suffering. In other words, the lust, passion, hunger, and thirst for forms, feelings, perceptions, volitional formations and consciousness is the source of suffering.
Careful analysis of our life experiences will prove us that suffering arises only when there is an attachment, desire, passion for things. Passion bonds, glues, connects a person with another person, animal or thing. Any alteration to that person, animal or thing causes pain and suffering.
The Noble Truth of Cessation of Suffering: Remnant-free, residue-free absolute cessation of, ending of, termination of that craving for forms, feelings, perceptions, volitional formations and consciousness is the cessation of suffering.
The Noble Truth of the Path Leading to the Cessation of Suffering: The only path that leads to the absolute elimination of craving for forms, feelings, perceptions, volitional formations and consciousness is the “Noble Eightfold Path”. The path consists of eight elements that develops virtue, concentration and wisdom to the absolute perfection; which is the stream ending at the cessation of suffering, the ultimate bliss, which is the Nibbana.
The Four Noble Truths are,
- Suffering as the first noble truth
- Origin of suffering as the second noble truth
- Cessation of suffering as the third noble truth
- The Path Leading to the Cessation of Suffering as the fourth noble truth
The Noble Truth of Suffering: The Buddha explained birth is suffering; aging is suffering; sickness is suffering; death is suffering; separation from the loved is suffering; association with unloved is suffering; not getting what is liked is suffering; sorrow, pain and lamentation is suffering; and five-aggregates-afflicted by clinging (i.e. form, feeling, perception, volitional formations and consciousness) is suffering.
The teachings of the Buddha discusses the same suffering that everybody experiences everyday in one or another form. The physical and mental pain we experience is a result of aging, sickness, death, separating from loved or association with unloved.
The Noble Truth of Origin of Suffering: Craving is the origin of the suffering. In other words, the lust, passion, hunger, and thirst for forms, feelings, perceptions, volitional formations and consciousness is the source of suffering.
Careful analysis of our life experiences will prove us that suffering arises only when there is an attachment, desire, passion for things. Passion bonds, glues, connects a person with another person, animal or thing. Any alteration to that person, animal or thing causes pain and suffering.
The Noble Truth of Cessation of Suffering: Remnant-free, residue-free absolute cessation of, ending of, termination of that craving for forms, feelings, perceptions, volitional formations and consciousness is the cessation of suffering.
The Noble Truth of the Path Leading to the Cessation of Suffering: The only path that leads to the absolute elimination of craving for forms, feelings, perceptions, volitional formations and consciousness is the “Noble Eightfold Path”. The path consists of eight elements that develops virtue, concentration and wisdom to the absolute perfection; which is the stream ending at the cessation of suffering, the ultimate bliss, which is the Nibbana.
