Four Noble Truths

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The Buddha teaching the Four Noble Truths. Sanskrit manuscript. Nland,
Bihar, India.
Translations of
Four Noble Truths
Pali: cattri ariyasaccnip
Sanskrit:
(catvri ryasatyni)
Bengali:
chturarj sty
Burmese:
(IPA: [s l b])
Chinese:
(T) / (S)
(pinyin: sshngd)
Japanese:
(rmaji: shitai)
Korean:

(sa-seong-je)
Mongolian:
(Khutagt durvun unen)
Sinhala:
Tibetan:

(Wylie: 'phags pa'i bden pa bzhi
THL: pakp denpa shyi)
Thai:
(ariyasaj sii)
Vietnames
e:
T Diu
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v t e
The Four Noble Truths (Sanskrit: catvri ryasatyni; Pali: cattri
ariyasaccni) are regarded as the central doctrine of the Buddhist
tradition, and are said to provide a conceptual framework for all of
Buddhist thought. These four truths explain the nature of dukkha
(Pali; commonly translated as "suffering", "anxiety",
"unsatisfactoriness"[a]), its causes, its cessation, and the path
leading to its cessation.
The four noble truths are:[b]
1. The truth of dukkha (suffering, anxiety, unsatisfactoriness[a])
2. The truth of the origin of dukkha
3. The truth of the cessation of dukkha
4. The truth of the path leading to the cessation of dukkha
The first noble truth explains the nature of dukkha. Dukkha is
commonly translated as suffering, anxiety, unsatisfactoriness,
unease, etc., and it is said to have the following three aspects:[c]
The obvious physical and mental suffering associated with birth,
growing old, illness and dying.
The anxiety or stress of trying to hold onto things that are
constantly changing.
A basic unsatisfactoriness pervading all forms of existence, due
to the fact that all forms of life are changing, impermanent
and without any inner core or substance. On this level, the
term indicates a lack of satisfaction, a sense that things
never measure up to our expectations or standards.
The central importance of dukkha in Buddhist philosophy has
caused some observers to consider Buddhism to be a pessimistic
philosophy. However, the emphasis on dukkha is not intended to
present a pessimistic view of life, but rather to present a realistic
practical assessment of the human conditionthat all beings must
experience suffering and pain at some point in their lives, including
the inevitable sufferings of illness, aging, and death.[6]
Contemporary Buddhist teachers and translators emphasize that
while the central message of Buddhism is optimistic, the Buddhist
view of our situation in life (the conditions that we live in) is neither
pessimistic nor optimistic, but realistic.[d]
The second noble truth is that the origin of dukkha can be known.
Within the context of the four noble truths, the origin of dukkha is
commonly explained as craving or thirst (Pali: tanha) conditioned
by ignorance (Pali: avijja). On a deeper level, the root cause of
dukkha is identified as ignorance (avijja) of the true nature of
things. The third noble truth is that the complete cessation of
dukkha is possible, and the fourth noble truth identifies a path to
this cessation.
According to the Buddhist tradition, the Buddha first taught the four
noble truths in the very first teaching he gave after he attained
enlightenment, as recorded in The Discourse That Sets Turning
the Wheel of Truth (Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta), and he
further clarified their meaning in many subsequent teachings.[e]
The two main traditions of Buddhism, the Theravada and
Mahayana, have different approaches to learning about the four
noble truths and putting them into practice. The Theravada
tradition strongly emphasizes reading and contemplating the The
Discourse That Sets Turning the Wheel of Truththe first
discourse of the Buddhaas a method of study and practice. In
the Mahayana tradition, practitioners are more likely to learn about
the four noble truths through studying various Mahayana
commentaries, and less likely to study the first discourse directly.
The Mahayana commentaries typically present the four noble
truths in the context of the Mahayana path of the bodhisattva.[7]

Contents [hide]
1 Conceptual framework for Buddhist thought
2 Explanation
2.1 The four truths
2.2 First truth: dukkha
2.3 Second truth: origin of dukkha
2.4 Third truth: cessation of dukkha
2.5 Fourth truth: path to the cessation of dukkha
2.6 Experiential knowledge
2.7 Illness, diagnosis, and cure
3 Methods of study and practice
3.1 Differences between Theravada and Mahayana
approaches
3.2 Twelve insights
3.3 Sixteen characteristics
4 Within the discourses
4.1 Within the first discourse
4.2 Within other discourses
4.2.1 Tittha Sutta (Sectarians)
4.2.2 Maha-satipatthana Sutta (The Great
Frames of Reference)
4.2.3 Sammaditthi Sutta (The Discourse on
Right View)
4.2.4 Mahhatthipadopama Sutta (The Greater
Discourse on the Elephant-footprint Simile)
4.2.5 Maha-parinibbana Sutta (Last Days of
the Buddha)
5 Within Buddhist traditions
5.1 Early Indian Buddhism
5.1.1 Ekavyvahrika
5.1.2 Mahsaka
5.2 Theravada
5.3 Mahayana
5.3.1 Tibetan Buddhism
5.3.2 Nichiren Buddhism
5.3.3 Lotus Sutra
6 Contemporary glosses
6.1 Sylvia Boorstein: life is challenging
6.2 Lama Surya Das: life is difficult
6.3 Damien Keown, et al: life is suffering
6.4 Ajahn Sumedho, et al: there is suffering
6.5 Gil Fronsdal: suffering occurs
6.6 Mingyur Rinpoche: ordinary life is conditioned by
suffering
6.7 Phillip Moffitt: your life contains moments of
dukkha
6.8 Mark Epstein: the inevitability of humiliation in our
lives
6.9 Pema Chodron: we change and flow like the
weather
6.10 Ajahn Sucitto: the feeling of lack or loss or
conflict in our lives
6.11 Smanera Bodhesako: a recursive algorithm
6.12 David Brazier: not "origin", but "together with"
6.13 Gudo Wafu Nishijima: three philosophies and
one reality
7 Etymology
7.1 Ariya sacca
7.2 Pali terms for the four truths
8 See also
9 Notes
10 References
11 Web references
12 Sources
13 Further reading
14 External links

Conceptual framework for Buddhist
thought[edit]
The Four Noble Truths are regarded as central to the teachings of
Buddhism; they are said to provide a unifying theme, or conceptual
framework, for all of Buddhist thought. According to the Buddhist
tradition, the Buddha compared these four truths to the footprints
of an elephant: just as the footprints of all the other animals can fit
within the footprint of an elephant, in the same way, all of the
teachings of the Buddha are contained within the teachings on the
four noble truths.[f][e][g]
According to tradition, the Buddha taught on the four noble truths
repeatedly throughout his lifetime, continually expanding and
clarifying his meaning.[e] Walpola Rahula explains:[8]
The heart of the Buddha's teaching lies in the Four Noble Truths
(Cattri Ariyasaccni) which he expounded in his very first sermon
to his old colleagues, the five ascetics, at Isipatana (modern
Sarnath) near Benares. In this sermon, as we have it in the original
texts, these four Truths are given briefly. But there are
innumerable places in the early Buddhist scriptures where they are
explained again and again, with greater detail and in different
ways. If we study the Four Noble Truths with the help of these
references and explanations, we get a fairly good and accurate
account of the essential teachings of the Buddha according to the
original texts.
Contemporary Tibetan teacher Geshe Tashi Tsering emphasizes
the importance of the four noble truths for the individual path:[13]
The four noble truths lay down the blueprint for the entire body of
the Buddhas thought and practice and set up the basic framework
of the individuals path to enlightenment. They encapsulate all of
Buddhist philosophy. Therefore studying, meditating, and fully
understanding this teaching is very important, because without an
understanding of the four noble truths it is impossible to fully
integrate the concepts and practices of Buddhism into our daily
lives.
Explanation[edit]
The teachings on the Four Noble Truths explain the nature of
dukkha (commonly translated as suffering, anxiety,
unsatisfactoriness[a]), its causes, and how it can be overcome.
The four truths[edit]
The four noble truths are:[b]
1. The truth of dukkha (suffering, anxiety, unsatisfactoriness[a])
2. The truth of the origin of dukkha
3. The truth of the cessation of dukkha
4. The truth of the path leading to the cessation of dukkha
First truth: dukkha[edit]
Main article: Dukkha
The first noble truth is the truth of dukkha. Within the Buddhist
tradition, the term dukkha is commonly examined within three
different patterns or categories:[h]
The dukkha of ordinary suffering (dukkha-dukkha) - the physical
and mental suffering associated with birth, growing old,
illness and dying.
The dukkha produced by change (viparima-dukkha) - the
anxiety or stress of trying to hold onto concepts of situations,
people, or things that are constantly changing.
The dukkha of conditioning (sakhra-dukkha) - a basic
unsatisfactoriness pervading all forms of existence, due to
ignorance of the fact that all forms of life are changing,
impermanent and without any inner core or substance. On
this level, the term indicates a lack of satisfaction, a sense
that things never measure up to our expectations or
standards.
Contemporary translators of Buddhist texts use a variety of English
words to convey the different aspects of dukkha, such as: anxiety,
stress, frustration, unease, unsatisfactoriness, etc.[a] As one
source notes: "Dukkha contains not only the ordinary meaning of
suffering, but also includes deeper ideas such as imperfection,
pain, impermanence, disharmony, discomfort, irritation, or
awareness of incompleteness and insufficiency".[web 7]
The central importance of dukkha in Buddhist philosophy has
caused some observers to consider Buddhism to be a pessimistic
philosophy.[d] However, the emphasis on dukkha is not intended to
present a pessimistic view of life, but rather to present a realistic
practical assessment of the human conditionthat all beings must
experience suffering and pain at some point in their lives, including
the inevitable sufferings of illness, aging, and death.[6]
Contemporary Buddhist teachers and translators emphasize that
while the central message of Buddhism is optimistic, the Buddhist
view of our situation in life (the conditions that we live in) is neither
pessimistic nor optimistic, but realistic.[d]
The Buddha acknowledged that there is both happiness and
sorrow in the world, but he taught that even when we have some
kind of happiness, it is impermanent and subject to change. And
due to this unstable, impermanent nature, everything we
experience seems to have the quality of dukkha or
unsatisfactoriness. Therefore unless we can gain insight into the
truth, and understand what is really able to give us happiness, and
what is unable to provide happiness, the experience of
unsatisfactoriness or dissatisfaction will persist.[6][23][24][25]
Traleg Kyabgon explains:[25]
Normally we think our happiness is contingent upon external
circumstances and situations, rather than upon our own inner
attitude toward things, or toward life in general. The Buddha was
saying that dissatisfaction is part of life, even if we are seeking
happiness and even if we manage to find temporary happiness.
The very fact that it is temporary means that sooner or later the
happiness is going to pass. So the Buddha said that unless we
understand this and see how pervasive dissatisfaction or duhkha
is, it is impossible for us to start looking for real happiness.
Second truth: origin of dukkha[edit]
Main article: Samudaya sacca
The second noble truth is the truth of the origin of dukkha. Within
the context of the four noble truths, the origin (Pali: samudaya) of
dukkha appears as craving (Pali: tanha) arising from wrong
knowledge (Pali: avijja).[26][web 1][i] This craving runs on three
channels:[26][27][28]
Craving for sense-pleasures (kama-tanha): this is craving for
sense objects which provide pleasant feeling, or craving for
sensory pleasures.
Craving to be (bhava-tanha): this is craving to be something, to
unite with an experience. This includes craving to be solid
and ongoing, to be a being that has a past and a future,[29]
and craving to prevail and dominate over others.
Craving not to be (vibhava-tanha): this is craving to not
experience the world, and to be nothing; a wish to be
separated from painful feelings.[j]
Ignorance (Pali: avijja) can be defined as ignorance of the meaning
and implication of the four noble truths.[30] On a deeper level, it
refers to a misunderstanding of the nature of the self and reality.[k]
Another common explanation presents the cause of dukkha as
disturbing emotions (Sanskrit: kleshas) unconsciously arising from
ignorance (Sanskrit: avidya).[l] In this context, it is common to
identify three root disturbing emotions, called the three
poisons,[31][32] as the root cause of suffering or dukkha. These
three poisons are:
Ignorance (Sanskrit: avidya or moha): misunderstanding of the
nature of reality; bewilderment.
Attachment (Sanskrit: raga): attachment to pleasurable
experiences.
Aversion (Sanskrit: dvesha): a fear of getting what we don't want,
or not getting what we do want.[m]
Third truth: cessation of dukkha[edit]
See also: Nirodha sacca
The third Noble Truth is the truth of the cessation of dukkha. The
term cessation (Pali: nirodha) refers to the cessation of suffering
and the causes of suffering. It is
the cessation of all the unsatisfactory experiences and their
causes in such a way that they can no longer occur again. It's the
removal, the final absence, the cessation of those things, their
non-arising."[web 8]
Cessation is the goal of one's spiritual practice in the Buddhist
tradition.[33] According to the Buddhist point of view, once we have
developed a genuine understanding of the causes of suffering,
such as craving (tanha) and ignorance (avijja), then we can
completely eradicate these causes and thus be free from
suffering.[34]
Cessation is often equated with nirvana (Sanskrit; Pali nibbana),
which can be described as the state of being in cessation[35] or the
event or process of the cessation.[36] A temporary state of nirvana
can be said to occur whenever the causes of suffering (e.g.
craving) have ceased in our mind.[37]
Joseph Goldstein explains:
Ajahn Buddhadasa, a well-known Thai master of the last century,
said that when village people in India were cooking rice and
waiting for it to cool, they might remark, "Wait a little for the rice to
become nibbana". So here, nibbana means the cool state of mind,
free from the fires of the defilements. As Ajahn Buddhadasa
remarked, "The cooler the mind, the more Nibbana in that
moment". We can notice for ourselves relative states of coolness
in our own minds as we go through the day.[37]
Fourth truth: path to the cessation of dukkha[edit]


The Dharma wheel, often used to represent the Noble Eightfold Path
Main article: Noble Eightfold Path
The fourth noble truth is the path to the cessation of dukkha. This
path is called the Noble Eightfold Path, and it is considered to be
the essence of Buddhist practice.[38] The eightfold path consists of
Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right
Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right
Concentration.
While the first three truths are primarily concerned with
understanding the nature of dukkha (suffering, anxiety, stress) and
its causes, the fourth truth presents a practical method for
overcoming dukkha.[39] The path consists of a set of eight
interconnected factors or conditions, that when developed
together, lead to the cessation of dukkha.[40][web 1] Ajahn Sucitto
describes the path as "a mandala of interconnected factors that
support and moderate each other."[40]
Thus, the eight items of the path are not to be understood as
stages, in which each stage is completed before moving on to the
next. Rather, they are to be understood as eight significant
dimensions of one's behaviourmental, spoken, and bodilythat
operate in dependence on one another; taken together, they define
a complete path, or way of living.[41]
Experiential knowledge[edit]
In the Buddhist tradition, the four noble truths, and Buddhist
philosophy in general, are understood to be based on the personal
experience of the Buddha. This understanding is implied in the
term "noble truths," which is a translation of the Pali terms ariya
sacca (Sanskrit: arya satya). The Pali term sacca means "truth"
and "real" or "actual thing." In this context, contemporary Buddhist
scholar Rupert Gethin explains that the four noble truths are not
asserted as propositional truths or creeds; rather, they are
understood as "true things" or "realities" that the Buddha
experienced.[n][o]
Contemporary Buddhist teacher Thanissaro Bhikkhu emphasizes
the same point, noting that the Four Noble Truths are best
understood as categories of experience, rather than as beliefs.
Thanissaro Bhikkhu writes:
These four truths are best understood, not as beliefs, but as
categories of experience. They offer an alternative to the ordinary
way we categorize what we can know and describe[we ordinarily
categorize things] in terms of me/not me, and being/not being.[p]
These ordinary categories create trouble, for the attempt to
maintain full being for one's sense of "me" is a stressful effort
doomed to failure, in that all of the components of that "me" are
inconstant, stressful, and thus not worthy of identifying as "me" or
"mine". [...][T]he study of the four noble truths is aimed first at
understanding these four categories, and then at applying them to
experience so that one may act properly toward each of the
categories and thus attain the highest, most total happiness
possible.[web 6]
The Tibetan Buddhist lama Chgyam Trungpa emphasizes that
cessation is a personal experience.[43] Chgyam Trungpa
explains:
The truth of cessation is a personal discovery. It is not mystical
and does not have any connotations of religion or psychology. It is
simply your experience... It is like experiencing instantaneous good
health: you have no cold, no flu, no aches, and no pains in your
body. You feel perfectly well, absolutely refreshed and wakeful!
Such an experience is possible.[43]
Illness, diagnosis, and cure[edit]
In the Buddhist tradition, the Buddha is often compared to a great
physician, and his teachings are compared to medicine. The
teachings on the four noble truths in particular are related to a
medical diagnosis, as follows:[q]
1. The truth of dukkha: identifying the illness and the nature of
the illness (the diagnosis)
2. The truth of origin: identifying the causes of the illness (the
etiology)
3. The truth of cessation: identifying a cure for the illness (the
prognosis)
4. The truth of the path: recommending a treatment for the
illness that can bring about a cure (the prescription)
This analogy is said to emphasize the compassion of the
Buddhathat he was motivated by the desire to relieve the
suffering of beings.[44][46] It also emphasizes that the Buddha was
presented as physician, or healer of the spirit, rather than as a
meta-physician or someone who spoke of supernatural powers.[r]
For example, Pico Iyer states: "The Buddha generally presented
himself as more physician than metaphysician: if an arrow is
sticking out of your side, he famously said, dont argue about
where it came from or who made it; just pull it out. You make your
way to happiness not by fretting about it or trafficking in New Age
affirmations, but simply by finding the cause of your suffering, and
then attending to it, as any doctor (of mind or body) might do."[web
12]
Contemporary Buddhist teacher Tamara Engel also emphasizes
the Buddha's reluctance to comment on metaphysical matters:[web
10]
The brilliance of this medical model is that the Buddha offers a
complete spiritual path that does not depend on metaphysical
speculation or beliefno speculation or belief about God. No leap
of faith is required. The illness the Buddha refers to is a particular
kind of suffering, and there is nothing metaphysical about it. We all
experience it. In fact, it is said that the Buddha would never enter
into a metaphysical discussion. He stated, I teach one thing and
one thing only. Suffering and the end of suffering.
There are many examples both in the original suttas and in
traditional and contemporary commentaries that compare the
Buddha to a physician.[s]
Methods of study and practice[edit]
Differences between Theravada and Mahayana
approaches[edit]
The two main traditions of Buddhism, the Theravada and
Mahayana, have different approaches to learning about the four
noble truths and putting them into practice. The Theravada
tradition strongly emphasizes reading and contemplating the The
Discourse That Sets Turning the Wheel of Truththe first
discourse of the Buddhaas a means to study the four noble
truths and put them into practice. In the Mahayana tradition,
practitioners are more likely to learn about the four noble truths
through studying various Mahayana commentaries, and less like to
study the first discourse directly. The Mahayana commentaries
typically present the four noble truths in the context of the
Mahayana path of the bodhisattva.[7]
For example, Geshe Tashi Tsering explains:[7]
The two main Buddhist traditions, Theravada and Mahayana, have
different sets of scriptures. The Theravada is an earlier tradition
whose teachings are recorded in the Pali texts, while the
Mahayana is based on Sanskrit texts that were written down later.
The countries that follow the Theravada tradition strongly
emphasize reading, reciting, and learning the actual discourses of
the Buddha. In the Tibetan monasteries, which follow the
Mahayana tradition, we study the four noble truths on many
occasions over the course of our education, but we do not typically
study the sutra itself. Usually we study this topic in conjunction with
the teachings that emphasize the bodhisattva aspiration for
enlightenment for the sake of all other beings.
Paul Williams writes that in contrast to the East Asian traditions,
there has been a strong tendency in Tibetan Buddhism and the
Himalayan traditions to approach the stras indirectly through the
medium of exegetical treatises if at all.[54]
Another point of difference between the two traditions is that the
Theravada tradition emphasizes contemplating three stages for
each truth (for a total of twelve insights) as outlined in The
Discourse That Sets Turning the Wheel of Truth, whereas certain
Mayahana traditions also identify sixteen characteristics of the four
noble truths. (These alternatives are explained below.)
Twelve insights[edit]
The Discourse That Sets Turning the Wheel of Truth identifies
three stages in the understanding of each truth, for a total of twelve
insights. The three stages for understanding each truth are:[t]
1. sacca-a - knowing the nature of the truth (e.g.,
acknowledgement, view, reflection)
2. kicca-a - knowing what needs to be done in connection
with that truth (e.g., practice; motivation; directly
experiencing)
3. kata-a - accomplishing what needs to be done (e.g.,
result, full understanding, knowing)
These three stages of understanding are emphasized particularly
in the Theravada tradition, but they are also recognized by some
contemporary Mahayana teachers.[u]
Three insights for the first noble truth
The three insights for the first noble truth are:
1. There is suffering. Ajahn Sumedho explains: "We dont need
to make it into anything grand; it is just the recognition:
There is suffering. That is a basic insight. The ignorant
person says, Im suffering. I dont want to suffer. I meditate
and I go on retreats to get out of suffering, but Im still
suffering and I dont want to suffer.... How can I get out of
suffering? What can I do to get rid of it? But that is not the
First Noble Truth; it is not: I am suffering and I want to end
it. The insight is, There is suffering."[57]
2. Suffering should be understood. Ajahn Sumedho explains:
"The second insight or aspect of each of the Noble Truths
has the word should in it: It should be understood. The
second insight then, is that dukkha is something to
understand. One should understand dukkha, not just try to
get rid of it. [...] In Pali, understanding means to really
accept the suffering, stand under or embrace it rather than
just react to it. With any form of suffering physical or mental
we usually just react, but with understanding we can really
look at suffering; really accept it, really hold it and embrace it.
So that is the second aspect, We should understand
suffering."[57]
3. Suffering has been understood. Ajahn Sumedho explains:
"When you have actually practised with suffering looking at
it, accepting it, knowing it and letting it be the way it is then
there is the third aspect, Suffering has been understood, or
Dukkha has been understood. "[57]
Three insights for the second noble truth
The three insights for the second noble truth are:[61][62]
1. There is the origin of suffering, which is attachment to desire
(tanha) Ajahn Sumedho emphasizes contemplating the three
aspects of tanha: kama-tanha (the desire for sense
pleasures); bhava-tanha (the desire to become something,
such as seeking wealth or fame); vibhava-tahha (the desire
to get rid of things, e.g. to avoid suffering)
2. Desire should be let go of Ajahn Sumedho states: "The more
we contemplate and investigate grasping, the more the
insight arises, 'Desire should be let go of.'"[63]
3. Desire has been let go of Ajahn Sumedho states: "Then
through the actual practice and understanding of what letting
go really is, we have the third insight into the Second Noble
Truth, which is 'Desire has been let go of.' We actually know
letting go. It is not a theoretical letting go, but a direct insight.
You know letting go has been accomplished. This is what
practice is all about."[63]
Three insights for the third noble truth
1. There is the cessation of suffering, of "dukkha" Ajahn
Sumedho emphasizes the importance of reflecting on
impermanence, that everything that arises also ceases. He
states: "Rather than just thinking about it, really contemplate:
'All that is subject to arising is subject to ceasing.' Apply it to
life in general, and to your own experience. Then you will
understand. Just note: beginning...ending. Contemplate how
things are. This sensory realm is all about arising and
ceasing, beginning and ending; there can be perfect
understanding in this lifetime.[64]
2. The cessation of dukkha should be realized Ajahn Sumedho
states: "To allow this process of cessation to work, we must
be willing to suffer. This is why I stress the importance of
patience. We have to open our minds to suffering, because it
is in embracing suffering that suffering ceases. When we find
that we are suffering, physically or mentally, then we go to
the actual suffering that is present. We open completely to it,
welcome it, concentrate on it, allowing it to be what it is. That
means we must be patient and bear with the unpleasantness
of a particular condition. We have to endure boredom,
despair, doubt and fear in order to understand that they
cease rather than running away from them."[65]
3. The cessation of dukkha has been realized Ajahn Sumedho
states: "[When craving] has ceased, you experience nirodha
cessation, emptiness, non-attachment. Nirodha is another
word for Nibbana. When you have let something go and
allowed it to cease, then what is left is peace."[66]
Three insights for the fourth noble truth
1. There is a path to the cessation of suffering Phillip Moffitt
introduces this insight as follows: "In the Tenth Insight the
Buddha asks you to realize that there is a path to finding
freedom from the angst of your life and experiencing more
joy. Implicit is the authentic possibility that you have the
power to change your inner experience of life, and there is a
specific means for you to do so. The realization of this insight
evokes in you the faith to undergo the discipline, hard work,
and renunciation that are called for in the Eleventh
Insight."[67]
2. This path should be cultivated (actualized) Phillip Moffitt
introduces this insight as follows: "The Noble Eightfold Path
is not a set of beliefs or laws but rather a practical, direct
experience method for finding meaning and peace in your
life. Think of it as an organic blueprint from which you
organize and live your life. Each of the eight path factors
defines one aspect of behavioral development needed for
you to move from suffering to joy. Its eight factors function as
an integrated system or matrix that supports and informs all
parts of your life. By "cultivating" the Buddha means
attending to, nourishing, and manifesting each of these
factors of wisdom in your life."[68]
3. This path is realized Phillip Moffitt states: "As you begin
working with the twelfth and final of the Buddha's insights,
you are nearing the end of your search to know how to live
wisely. In your journey you have utilized mindfulness to
explore the experiences of your mind and body, which has
allowed you to directly know the emotional, psychological,
existential, and spiritual dilemmas of daily life. You are no
longer deluded-you no longer have the mistaken belief that
your mind has to be trapped in stress and reactivity for the
rest of your life. You now know that freedom is truly possible,
and you "know that you know" effective ways to respond to
desire and difficulty when they arise in your life. You know
that a path to cessation with its eight factors exists; you know
its parts; you know you are capable of practicing it; and you
know that it works for you!"[69]
Sixteen characteristics[edit]
The Mahayana text Ornament of Clear Realization
(Abhisamayalamkara) identifies four characteristics of each truth,
for a total of sixteen characteristics, which are presented as a
guide to contemplating and practicing the four noble truths.[70] The
Ornament of Clear Realization is a key text in the curriculum of
Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and study colleges, and this method
of study and practice is emphasized in the Tibetan tradition.
These sixteen characteristics are identified as follows:[71][web 15]
Truth of suffering - these characteristics refer to the five
aggregates[72]
1. impermanence - the five aggregates are impermanent and
change from moment to moment
2. suffering - the five aggregates have come into being
because of avidya (ignorance) and kleshas (disturbing
emotions), and they are under the influence of the
avidya and kleshas
3. emptiness - there is no "self" outside of the five aggregates
that controls or makes use of the five aggregates
4. selflessness - there is no "self" to be found within the five
aggregates that controls or makes use of the five
aggregates
Truth of origin - these characteristics refer to karma, kleshas, and
avidya (ignorance)[73]
1. causes - karma, kleshas, and avidya are constantly arising
within our mental continuum, and because of their
nature they have the quality of being the causes of
suffering.
2. origin - kleshas and karma are the actual origin of
suffering, not just intermediate links.
3. strong production - avidya, kleshas, and karma act
forcefully as the main causes of suffering (they are not
just passive ingredients)
4. condition - avidya, kleshas, and karma are more than just
the main causes of suffering, they are also the
contributory causes
Truth of cessation - these characteristics refer to cessation[74]
1. cessation - cessation is the ceasing of all kleshas and
avidya forever
2. pacification - cessation pacifies the torment of suffering,
bring true peace
3. being superb - cessation is supreme in bringing about the
source of all health and happiness
4. definite emergence - cessation will definitely bring us out of
samsara
Truth of the path - these characteristics refer to the path[75]
1. path - the path leads to cessation
2. awareness - the path leads us to a full and complete
understanding of the root of cyclic existence (samsara)
and the means to escape it
3. achievement - through the path, we can definitely achieve
the result of liberation and enlightenment
4. deliverance - the path delivers us from the bondage of our
conditioned existence
Within the discourses[edit]
According to the Buddhist tradition, the Buddha taught on the four
noble truths repeatedly throughout his lifetime, continually
expanding and clarifying his meaning.[e] Hence, there are many
discourses (Pali: suttas)the written records of the teaching of the
Buddhathat provide explanations of the four noble truths.
Within the first discourse[edit]


A relief depicting the first discourse of the Buddha, from the 2nd century
(Kushan). [web 16] The Walters Art Museum. The Buddha's hand can be seen
at right.
According to the Buddhist tradition, the Buddha first taught the four
noble truths in the very first teaching he gave after he attained
enlightenment, as recorded in the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta
(The Discourse That Sets Turning the Wheel of Truth). Within this
discourse, there are four key verses which present the four noble
truths. Several translations of these key four verses are provided
below.
John T. Bullit translation
In the following translation of these key four verses by
contemporary Theravada translator John T. Bullit, the term dukkha
is left untranslated:[v]
1. "Now this, monks, is the noble truth of dukkha: birth is
dukkha, aging is dukkha, death is dukkha; sorrow,
lamentation, pain, grief, & despair are dukkha; association
with the unbeloved is dukkha; separation from the loved is
dukkha; not getting what is wanted is dukkha. In short, the
five clinging-aggregates are dukkha.
2. "And this, monks is the noble truth of the origination of
dukkha: the craving that makes for further becoming
accompanied by passion & delight, relishing now here & now
there i.e., craving for sensual pleasure, craving for
becoming, craving for non-becoming.
3. "And this, monks, is the noble truth of the cessation of
dukkha: the remainderless fading & cessation, renunciation,
relinquishment, release, & letting go of that very craving.
4. "And this, monks, is the noble truth of the way of practice
leading to the cessation of dukkha: precisely this Noble
Eightfold Path: right view, right resolve, right speech, right
action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right
concentration."
Bhikkhu Bodhi translation
In the following translation of these key four verses by
contemporary Theravada teacher Bhikkhu Bodhi, the term dukkha
is translated as "suffering":[web 18]
1. Now this, bhikkhus, is the noble truth of suffering: birth is
suffering, aging is suffering, illness is suffering, death is
suffering; union with what is displeasing is suffering;
separation from what is pleasing is suffering; not to get what
one wants is suffering; in brief, the five aggregates subject to
clinging are suffering.
2. Now this, bhikkhus, is the noble truth of the origin of
suffering: it is this craving which leads to re-becoming,
accompanied by delight and lust, seeking delight here and
there; that is, craving for sensual pleasures, craving for
becoming, craving for disbecoming.
3. Now this, bhikkhus, is the noble truth of the cessation of
suffering: it is the remainderless fading away and cessation
of that same craving, the giving up and relinquishing of it,
freedom from it, non-reliance on it.
4. Now this, bhikkhus, is the noble truth of the way leading to
the cessation of suffering: it is this noble eightfold path; that
is, right view ... right concentration."
Thich Nhat Hahn translation
Contemporary Mahayana teacher Thich Nhat Hahn presents the
following translation of these verses from the Mahayana point of
view, based upon multiple sources:[76][w]
1. Brothers, [...the first truth] is the existence of suffering. Birth,
old age, sickness, and death are suffering. Sadness, anger,
jealousy, worry, anxiety, fear, and despair are suffering.
Separation from loved ones is suffering. Association with
those you hate is suffering. Desire, attachment, and clinging
to the five aggregates are suffering.
2. Brothers, the second truth is the cause of suffering.
Because of ignorance, people cannot see the truth about life,
and they become caught in the flames of desire, anger,
jealousy, grief, worry, fear, and despair.
3. Brothers, the third truth is the cessation of suffering.
Understanding the truth of life brings about the cessation of
every grief and sorrow and gives rise to peace and joy.
4. Brothers, the fourth truth is the path which leads to the
cessation of suffering. It is the Noble Eightfold Path, which I
have just explained. The Noble Eightfold Path is nourished
by living mindfully. Mindfulness leads to concentration and
understanding which liberates you from every pain and
sorrow and leads to peace and joy. I will guide you along this
path of realization.
Additional translations
For additional translations of the first discourse, see
Dhammacakkappavattana_Sutta#Translations_into_English.
Within other discourses[edit]
Some well-known sutras that elaborate on the four noble truths are
listed below.
Tittha Sutta (Sectarians)[edit]
In the Tittha Sutta (Anguttara Nikaya 3.61), the Buddha provides
an alternate description of the second and third noble truths; in this
sutta the Buddha identifies the arising and cessation of suffering in
accordance with his teachings on the Twelve Links of Dependent
Origination.[web 19]
For example, this sutta states:[web 19]
And what is the noble truth of the origination of stress [dukkha]?
From ignorance as a requisite condition come fabrications. From
fabrications as a requisite condition comes consciousness. From
consciousness as a requisite condition comes name-&-form. From
name-&-form as a requisite condition come the six sense media.
From the six sense media as a requisite condition comes contact.
From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling. From feeling
as a requisite condition comes craving. From craving as a requisite
condition comes clinging/sustenance. From clinging/sustenance as
a requisite condition comes becoming. From becoming as a
requisite condition comes birth. From birth as a requisite condition,
then old age & death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, &
despair come into play. Such is the origination of this entire mass
of stress & suffering.
Maha-satipatthana Sutta (The Great Frames of Reference)[edit]
The Maha-satipatthana Sutta (Digha Nikaya 22) elaborates on the
meaning of each of the four noble truths (providing additional
details to those found in the first discourse of the Buddha).[web 20]
For example, this sutta includes the following details on the first
noble truth (the truth of dukkha):[web 20]
"Now what is the noble truth of stress [dukkha]? Birth is stressful,
aging is stressful, death is stressful; sorrow, lamentation, pain,
distress, & despair are stressful; association with the unbeloved is
stressful; separation from the loved is stressful; not getting what
one wants is stressful. In short, the five clinging-aggregates are
stressful.
"And what is birth? Whatever birth, taking birth, descent, coming-
to-be, coming-forth, appearance of aggregates, & acquisition of
[sense] spheres of the various beings in this or that group of
beings, that is called birth.
"And what is aging? Whatever aging, decrepitude, brokenness,
graying, wrinkling, decline of life-force, weakening of the faculties
of the various beings in this or that group of beings, that is called
aging.
[...]
"And what are the five clinging-aggregates that, in short, are stress
[dukkha]? Form as a clinging-aggregate, feeling as a clinging-
aggregate, perception as a clinging-aggregate, fabrications as a
clinging-aggregate, consciousness as a clinging-aggregate: These
are called the five clinging-aggregates that, in short, are stress."
Sammaditthi Sutta (The Discourse on Right View)[edit]
The Sammaditthi Sutta (Majjhima Nikaya 9), a discourse given by
Ven. Sariputta, explains many aspects of the four noble truths,
kamma and dependent arising.[web 21]
Mahhatthipadopama Sutta (The Greater Discourse on the
Elephant-footprint Simile)[edit]
The Mahhatthipadopama Sutta (The Greater Discourse on the
Elephant-footprint Simile; Majjhima-Nikya 28), a discourse given
by Sriputta, presents the simile of the elephant-footprint; this sutta
states:[web 22]
Friends, just as the footprint of any breathing thing that walks can
be placed within an elephants footprint, and so the elephants
footprint is declared the chief of them because of its great size, so
too, whatever beneficial ideas there are can all be included in the
four Noble Truths.
This sutta also elaborates on the meaning of the five aggregates
which are mentioned in the first discourse as part of the cause of
suffering.[web 22]
Maha-parinibbana Sutta (Last Days of the Buddha)[edit]
The Maha-parinibbana Sutta was given near the end of the
Buddha's life. In this sutta, the Buddha emphasized the importance
of the four noble truths with the following statement:[web 23]
And the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, saying: "Bhikkhus,
it is through not realizing, through not penetrating the Four Noble
Truths that this long course of birth and death has been passed
through and undergone by me as well as by you. What are these
four? They are the noble truth of suffering; the noble truth of the
origin of suffering; the noble truth of the cessation of suffering; and
the noble truth of the way to the cessation of suffering. But now,
bhikkhus, that these have been realized and penetrated, cut off is
the craving for existence, destroyed is that which leads to renewed
becoming, and there is no fresh becoming."
Thus it was said by the Blessed One. And the Happy One, the
Master, further said:
Through not seeing the Four Noble Truths,
Long was the weary path from birth to birth.
When these are known, removed is rebirth's cause,
The root of sorrow plucked; then ends rebirth.
Within Buddhist traditions[edit]
Early Indian Buddhism[edit]
Ekavyvahrika[edit]
The Ekavyvahrika sect emphasized the transcendence of the
Buddha, asserting that he was eternally enlightened and
essentially non-physical. According to the Ekavyvahrika, the
words of the Buddha were spoken with one transcendent meaning,
and the Four Noble Truths are perfectly realized with one
wisdom.[80]
Mahsaka[edit]
According to the Mahsaka sect, the Four Noble Truths should
be meditated upon simultaneously.[81]
Theravada[edit]
Within the Theravada tradition, great emphasis is placed upon
reading and contemplating the The Discourse That Sets Turning
the Wheel of Truth, and other suttas, as a means to study the four
noble truths and put them into practice.[7] For example, Ajahn
Sumedho states:[12]
"The Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, the Buddha's teaching on
the Four Noble Truths, has been the main reference that I have
used for my practice over the years. It is the teaching we used in
our monastery in Thailand. The Theravada school of Buddhism
regards this sutta as the quintessence of the teachings of the
Buddha. This one sutta contains all that is necessary for
understanding the Dhamma and for enlightenment."
Mahayana[edit]
In the Mahayana tradition, the four noble truths are considered
central to the teachings of Buddhism, but are traditionally studied
and practiced in conjunction with teachings on bodhisattva path.[7]
For example, the Dalai Lama states:[82]
...although I recite mantras and visualize certain deities, even so,
the main emphasis of my daily practice is the Four Noble Truths
and bodhichitta. These two practices I feel are of real practical
benefit.
Tibetan Buddhism[edit]
Within Tibetan Buddhism, the four noble truths are traditionally
studied from Mahayana commentaries such as the
Abhisamayalamkara, rather than from reading the
Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta. In this context, the truth of the
path (the fourth truth) is traditionally presented according to a
progressive formula of five paths, rather than as the eightfold path
presented in other traditions.[x] The Tibetan tradition also
emphasizes the study of the sixteen characteristics of the four
noble truths, as described in the Abhisamayalamkara.
Note however, that some contemporary Tibetan Buddhist teachers
have provided commentary on the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta
and the noble eightfold path when presenting the dharma to
Western students. For example, Geshe Tashi Tsering's
commentary on the four noble truths emphasizes the Pali version
of the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta,[84] and contemporary texts
by Ringu Tulku[85] and Lama Surya Das[86] present the noble
eightfold path.
From the Tibetan Buddhist point of view, these alternative methods
of presentation are not considered to be contradictory, but rather
as different ways to present the Buddhist path.[83]
Nichiren Buddhism[edit]
Nichiren Buddhism is based on the teaching of the Japanese
teacher Nichiren, who believed that the Lotus sutra contained the
essence of all of Gautama Buddha's teachings. In his letter "A
Comparison between the Lotus and Other Sutras," Nichiren states
that the Four Noble Truths are a specific teaching expounded by
the Buddha for the sake of the rvakas disciples, those who attain
awakening by listening to the teachings of a Buddha.[web 24] The
implication here is that the teachings on the four noble truths are a
provisional teaching, which Shakyamuni Buddha taught according
to the peoples capacity, while the Lotus Sutra is a direct statement
of Shakyamunis own enlightenment.[web 25] The essence of the
Four Noble Truths about the cause of sufferings being "Attachment
to Earthly Desires" is recognized in Nichiren Buddhism, however
as just one cause among others, such as Arrogance, Ignorance
...etc., as explained by Nichiren in his letter on The Fourteen
Slanders.[87]
Nichiren Buddhism regards the Four Noble Truths as specific
teachings for the sravaka or voice hearers disciples of the Buddha:
the Sravaka, a term Hurvitz translates as voice hearer, is what
we might call the standard followers of the Buddha for whom he
teaches the four noble truths.,[88] contrasted with the Dharma of
the Lotus Sutra: the Lotus Sutra was addressed to all people[89]
The Second and Third Truth regarding the cause of suffering are
recognized in Nichirens teaching as Attachment to earthly
desires, however other causes of suffering are also listed such as
arrogance, negligence, hatred and grudges and others.[90]
Another difference in perceiving the teaching of the Eightfold Path
is Nichirens teaching of the direct path to enlightenment: The
key point that set Nichiren Buddhism apart from the other Buddhist
schools of his day was the establishment of this concrete means
for attaining Buddhahood [in ones current lifetime] [91]
Lotus Sutra[edit]
Buddhist schools which are based on the Lotus Sutra pay respect
to the teaching of the Four Noble Truths, and recognize it as the
first teaching of the Buddha, but differently from other schools -
not as the final teaching and which they consider to be the
Dharma of the Lotus: The Lotus Stra, which is the Buddhas final
teaching, expounds all essences of the Buddhas enlightenment
based on the universal law.[92]
According to Watson, the Lotus Sutra refers to the four noble
truths in the context
[
need quotation to verify
]
of presenting the
teachings on the bodhisattva path: .[93][web 26] The third chapter of
the Lotus Sutra states that the Four Noble Truths was the early
teaching of the Buddha, while the Dharma of the Lotus is the 'most
wonderful, unsurpassed great Dharma':
In the past at Vras, you turned the wheel of the Darma of the
Four Noble Truths, making distinctions and preaching that all
things are born and become extinct, being made up of the five
components (skandhas). Now you turn the wheel of the most
wonderful, the unsurpassed great Dharma. This Dharma is very
profound and abstruse; there are few who can believe it. Since
times past often we have heard the World-Honored One's
preaching, but we have never heard this kind of profound,
wonderful and superior Dharma. Since the World-Honored One
preaches this Dharma, we all welcome it with joy.
Contemporary glosses[edit]
Many contemporary Buddhist teachers have provided brief
summaries of the four noble truths as a means of introducing this
doctrine to Western students. A sampling of this summaries is
included here.
Sylvia Boorstein: life is challenging[edit]
Sylvia Boorstein summarizes the four truths as follows:[web 27]
1. Life is challenging. For everyone. Our physical bodies, our
relationshipsall of our life circumstancesare fragile and
subject to change. We are always accommodating.
2. The cause of suffering is the minds struggle in response to
challenge.
3. The end of sufferinga non-struggling, peaceful mindis a
possibility.
4. The program for ending suffering is the Eightfold Path.
Lama Surya Das: life is difficult[edit]
Lama Surya Das summarizes the four noble truths as follows:[15]
1. The First Noble Truth: Life is difficult.
2. The Second Noble Truth: Life is difficult because of
attachment, because we crave satisfaction in ways that are
inherently dissatisfying
3. The Third Noble Truth: The possibility of liberation from
difficulties exists for everyone.
4. The Fourth Noble Truth: The way to realize this liberation
and enlightenment is by leading a compassionate life of
virtue, wisdom, and meditation. These three spiritual
trainings comprise the teachings of the Eight-fold Path to
Enlightenment.
Damien Keown, et al: life is suffering[edit]
Many contemporary Buddhist teachers and scholars offer
summaries of the Four Noble Truths that begin with the statement
"life is suffering." For example, Damien Keown presents the
essential meaning of the four truths as follows:[94]
1. life is suffering,
2. suffering is caused by craving,
3. suffering can have an end, and
4. there is a path which leads to the end of suffering.
Note, however, that a number of Buddhist teachers and scholars
have cautioned that the phrase "life is suffering" can lead to a
misunderstanding of the Buddhist view by seeming to present a
pessimistic outlook. For example:
Thanissaro Bhikkhu states: "You've probably heard the rumor
that "Life is suffering" is Buddhism's first principle, the
Buddha's first noble truth. It's a rumor with good credentials,
spread by well-respected academics and Dharma teachers
alike, but a rumor nonetheless. The truth about the noble
truths is far more interesting. The Buddha taught four truths
not one about life: There is suffering, there is a cause
for suffering, there is an end of suffering, and there is a path
of practice that puts an end to suffering. These truths, taken
as a whole, are far from pessimistic. They're a practical,
problem-solving approach [...]" [web 14]
Phillip Moffit states: "Oftentimes, the First Noble Truth is
misquoted as `All life is suffering," but that is an inaccurate
and misleading reflection of the Buddha's insight. He did not
teach that life is constant misery, nor that you should expect
to feel pain and unhappiness at all times. Rather, he
proclaimed that suffering is an unavoidable reality of ordinary
human existence that is to be known and responded to
wisely."[95]
Gil Fronsdal states: "The First Noble Truth simply says that
suffering occurs. It does not say, "Life is suffering." "[96]
Ajahn Sumedho, et al: there is suffering[edit]
Many contemporary Buddhist teachers and scholars offer
summaries of the Four Noble Truths that begin with the statement
"there is suffering."[y] For example, Ajahn Sumedho presents the
following summary of the four truths:[97]
1. there is suffering;
2. there is a cause or origin of suffering;
3. there is an end of suffering; and
4. there is path out of suffering which is the Eightfold Path.
In this case, Ajahn Sumedho is referring to the first of three
insights for each truth. For example, regarding the first insight of
the first noble truth, Ajahn Sumedho states:[57]
For the First Noble Truth, 'There is suffering' is the first insight.
What is that insight? We dont need to make it into anything grand;
it is just the recognition: There is suffering. That is a basic insight.
The ignorant person says, Im suffering. I dont want to suffer. I
meditate and I go on retreats to get out of suffering, but Im still
suffering and I dont want to suffer.... How can I get out of
suffering? What can I do to get rid of it? But that is not the First
Noble Truth; it is not: I am suffering and I want to end it. The
insight is, There is suffering.
Gil Fronsdal: suffering occurs[edit]
Contemporary Buddhist teacher Gil Fronsdal summarizes the four
truths as follows:[52]
1. Suffering occurs.
2. The cause of suffering is craving.
3. The possibility for ending suffering exists.
4. The cessation of suffering can be attained through the Noble
Eightfold Path.
Mingyur Rinpoche: ordinary life is conditioned by
suffering[edit]
Mingyur Rinpoche describes the Four Noble Truths as "Four Pure
Insights into the Way Things Are". He summarizes these insights
as follows:[99]
1. Ordinary life is conditioned by suffering;
2. Suffering results from causes;
3. The causes of suffering can be extinguished;
4. There is a simple path through which the causes of suffering
can be extinguished.
Phillip Moffitt: your life contains moments of
dukkha[edit]
Phillip Moffitt presents the essential meaning of the four noble
truths as follows:[100]
1. your life contains moments of dukkha;
2. the cause of your dukkha is clinging to desired objects and
states of being;
3. you can release dukkha by letting go of clinging to those
desires; and
4. there is an Eightfold Path to freedom from dukkha that you
can follow in order to accomplish all this.
Moffitt states that understanding these truths is the foundation of
Buddhist wisdom.
Mark Epstein: the inevitability of humiliation in our
lives[edit]
Mark Epstein relates the Four Noble Truths to modern
psychology.[z] He summarizes the essential meaning of the four
truths from a psychological perspective as follows:[5]
1. The first truth highlights the inevitability of humiliation in our
lives
2. The second truth speaks of the primal thirst that makes such
humiliation inevitable.
3. The third truth promises release
4. The fourth truth spells out the means of accomplishing that
release.
Pema Chodron: we change and flow like the
weather[edit]
Pema Chodron provides an explanation of the four noble truths
that relates our changing thoughts and emotions to the weather. In
this context, Pema Chodron summarizes the four truths as
follows:[aa]
1. The first noble truth says that its part of being human to feel
discomfort. Nothing in its essence is one way or the other. All
around us the wind, the fire, the earth, the water, are always
taking on different qualities; theyre like magicians. We also
change like the weather. We ebb and flow like the tides, we
wax and wane like the moon. We fail to see that like the
weather, we are fluid, not solid. And so we suffer.
2. The second noble truth says that resistance is the
fundamental operating mechanism of what we call ego, that
resisting life causes suffering. Traditionally its said that the
cause of suffering is clinging to our narrow view, which is to
say, we are addicted to ME. We resist that we change and
flow like the weather, that we have the same energy as all
living things. When we resist, we dig in our heels. We make
ourselves really solid. Resisting is whats called ego.
3. The third noble truth says that suffering ceases when we let
go of trying to maintain the huge ME at any cost. This is what
we practice in meditation. When we let go of the thinking and
the story line, were left just sitting with the quality and the
energy of whatever particular weather weve been trying to
resist.
4. The essence of the fourth noble truth is that we can use
everything we do to help us to realize that were part of the
energy that creates everything. If we learn to sit still like a
mountain in a hurricane, unprotected from the truth and
vividness and the immediacy of simply being part of life, then
we are not this separate being who has to have things turn
out our way. When we stop resisting and let the weather
simply flow through us, we can live our lives completely. Its
up to us.
Ajahn Sucitto: the feeling of lack or loss or conflict in
our lives[edit]
Ajahn Sucitto presents the essential topics of the four truths as
follows:[103]
The four noble truths are about suffering, how it arises, how it
ceases, and a way to bring around that ceasing. These occupy the
center of the Buddhas teaching, because they already are central
to human experience. Everyone knows the feeling of lack or loss
or conflict in their lives: this is what the Buddha called dukkha,
often translated as suffering, but covering a whole range of
meanings and nuances. At times, we feel it as a sense of need, or
a dissatisfaction that can vary from mild weariness to utter despair.
This feeling can be triggered either by physical experience or by
mental impressions concerning ourselves or other beings. It is a
feeling characterized by a sense that things are out of balance.
Even if we are physically well and mentally skilled, we can feel
disappointed that life isnt offering us enough, or that were not
making enough of it or doing enough, or that theres not enough
time, space, freedom. We can feel anxiety over the state of the
planet and the environment; our perceptions of the present and the
future are not secure and problem free. So that pulls on us
emotionally. Then theres the sense of too muchfeeling
overwhelmed, not having enough space, time, and ease. In both
cases theres a continual sense of subtle or gross stress. Just
reflect upon your activities and pursuits: notice that they involve a
constant effort to change or cope with what is disagreeable, or to
stimulate well-being. This striving is universal.
Smanera Bodhesako: a recursive algorithm[edit]
Smanera Bodhesako describes knowledge of the four noble
truths as a recursive algorithm:[web 30]
The most fundamental level of the Buddhas Teaching is that of the
four noble truths: the truth of dukkha, the truth of the arising of
dukkha, the truth of the ceasing of dukkha, and the truth of the
path leading to the ceasing of dukkha. The fourth truth is, in its
expanded form, that of the noble eightfold path, namely, right view,
right attitude, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort,
right mindfulness, and right concentration. The first of these
factors, right view, is defined (at e.g. D. 22: ii,312) as knowledge of
the four noble truths. Such knowledge will of course include
knowledge of the fourth of these truths, namely the noble eightfold
path; and it will of course include knowledge of the first factor of
that path, namely right view. Therefore right view means (among
other things) having right view about right view. Further, it means
having right view about right viewabout right view. Not only does
one know, but one knows that one knows. As with properly aligned
mirrors, which reflect each others images endlessly, so too the
hierarchy of knowledge is recursively infinite.
David Brazier: not "origin", but "together with"[edit]
David Brazier also relates the four noble truths to modern
psychology. Brazier asserts that the traditional translations of the
Pali terms samudhaya and nirodha as "origin" and "cessation",
coupled with the translation of dukkha as "suffering", give rise to a
causal explanation of suffering, and the impression that suffering
can be totally terminated. Brazier offers different translations of
these terms and summarizes the four noble truths as follows:[104]
1. Dukkha: existence is imperfect, it's like a wheel that's not
straight into the axis;
2. Samudhaya: simultaneously with the experience of dukkha
there arises tanha, thirst: the dissatisfaction with what is and
the yearning that life should be different from how it is. We
keep imprisoned in this yearning when we don't see reality
as it is, namely imperfect and ever-changing;
3. Nirodha: we can confine this yearning (that reality is different
from how it is), and perceive reality as it is, whereby our
suffering from the imperfectness becomes confined;
4. Marga: this confinement is possible by following the Eightfold
Path.
According to Brazier's translation, samudhaya means that the
uneasiness that's inherent to life arises together with the craving
that life's event would be different. The translation of nirodha as
confinement means that this craving is a natural reaction, which
cannot be totally escaped or ceased, but can be limited, which
gives us freedom.[104]
Gudo Wafu Nishijima: three philosophies and one
reality[edit]
Gudo Wafu Nishijima presents a distinctive interpretation of the
four noble truths by relating them to his theory of Three
philosophies and one reality.[web 31][105] Nishijima relates each
truth to a different view:[105]
1. The First Noble Truth is idealism or spiritualism
2. The Second Noble Truth is materialism
3. The Third Noble Truth is action
4. The Fourth Noble Truth is reality
Etymology[edit]
Ariya sacca[edit]
The Pali terms ariya sacca (Sanskrit: arya satya) are commonly
translated as "noble truths". This translation is a convention started
by the earliest translators of Buddhist texts into English; however,
many contemporary translators have pointed out that this is not
necessarily the most accurate translation of this terms. For
example, contemporary scholar Paul Williams states:[106]
...as K. R. Norman has pointed out, there is no particular reason
why the Pali expression ariyasaccani should be translated as
'noble truths'. It could equally be translated as 'the nobles' truths',
or 'the truths for nobles', or 'the nobilising truths', or 'the truths of,
possessed by, the noble ones' (1990-6, in 1993 volume: 174). In
fact the Pali expression (and its Sanskrit equivalent) can mean all
of these, although the Pali commentators place 'the noble truths'
as the least important in their understanding (ibid.; see also
Norman 1997: 16). Norman's own view is that probably the best
single translation is 'the truth[s] of the noble one (the Buddha)'.
This would amount to a statement of how things are seen ('truth';
Sanskrit: satya; Pali: sacca, derived from 'sat', being, how it is) by
a Buddha, how things really are when seen correctly. Through not
seeing things this way, and behaving accordingly, we suffer.
Contemporary Buddhist teacher Mingyur Rinpoche describes the
four arya satya as "Four Pure Insights into the Way Things
Are".[99]
The term ariya (Sanskrit: arya) can be translated as "noble", "not
ordinary", "valuable", "precious",[ab] "pure",[99] etc. Paul Williams
states: "The Aryas are the noble ones, the saints, those who have
attained 'the fruits of the path', 'that middle path the Tathagata has
comprehended which promotes sight and knowledge, and which
tends to peace, higher wisdom, enlightenment, and Nibbana'
(Narada 1980: 50 ).[108]
Geshe Tashi Tsering states:[109]
The modifier noble means truth as perceived by arya beings, those
beings who have had a direct realization of emptiness or
selflessness. Noble means something seen by arya beings as it
really is, and in this case it is four recognitionssuffering, origin,
cessation, and path. Arya beings see all types of suffering
physical and mental, gross and subtleexactly as they are, as
suffering. For people like us, who do not have the direct realization
of emptiness, although we may understand certain levels of
physical and mental experiences as suffering, it is impossible for
us to see all the levels of suffering for what they are. Instead we
may see some things as desirable when in truth they are suffering.
The term sacca (Sanskrit: satya) is typically translated as "truth";
but it also means "that which is in accord with reality", or "reality".
Rupert Gethin states:[42]
The word satya (Pali sacca) can certainly mean truth, but it might
equally be rendered as real or actual thing. That is, we are not
dealing here with propositional truths with which we must either
agree or disagree, but with four true things or realities whose
nature, we are told, the Buddha finally understood on the night of
his awakening.
Pali terms for the four truths[edit]
The four truths are typically expressed in Pali (and Sanskrit) as
follows:[web 32][web 33][ac]
1. Dukkha sacc (Sanskrit: dukha-satya) - the Truth of
Suffering
2. Samudaya sacc (Sanskrit: samudaya-satya) - the Truth of
the Origin of Suffering
3. Nirodha sacc (Sanskrit: nirodha-satya) - the Truth of the
Cessation of Suffering
4. Magga sacc (Sanskrit: mrga-satya) - the Truth of the Path
leading to the Cessation of Suffering
The key terms in these expressions can be translated as follows:
1. Dukkha - "suffering", "anxiety", "uneasiness",
"dissatisfaction", "unsatisfactoriness", etc. See Dukkha
etymology
2. Samudaya - "origin", "source", "arising", "coming to
existence"[web 35]
3. Nirodha - cessation; release;[web 36] to confine[104]
4. Magga - "path"[web 37] The key terms in the longer version of
this expression, Dukkha Nirodha Gamini Patipada Ariya
Saccam,[ac] can be translated as follows:
Gamini: leading to, making for[web 38]
Patipada: road, path, way; the means of reaching a goal or
destination[web 39]
5.
See also[edit]

Wikisource has original text
related to this article:
Sayukta gama 379:
Dharmacakra Pravartana
Stra
Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta
Dukkha
Enlightenment in Buddhism
List of Buddhist topics
Notes[edit]
a. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e For clarification of translations, see
Dukkha#Translating the term dukkha.
b. ^ Jump up to: a b Contemporary translators have used a number of
variations in presenting the essential list (i.e. the names or titles)
of the Four Noble Truths. For example:
Bhikkhu Bodhi states: "The Four Noble Truths are as follows: 1.
The truth of Dukkha; 2. The truth of the origin of Dukkha; 3.
The truth of the cessation of Dukkha; 4. The truth of the
path, the way to liberation from Dukkha".[web 1]
John T. Bullit (Access to Insight) states: "What are these four?
They are the noble truth of dukkha; the noble truth of the
origin of dukkha; the noble truth of the cessation of dukkha;
and the noble truth of the way to the cessation of
dukkha."[web 2]
Ven. Dr. Rewata Dhamma states: The Four Noble Truths [...]
are: 1. The Noble Truth of Suffering (dukkha); 2. The Noble
Truth of the origin of suffering (samudaya); 3. The Noble
Truth of the cessation of suffering (nirodha); 4. The Noble
Truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering
(magga).[1]
Macmillan Encyclopedia of Buddhism states: "1. The noble truth
that is suffering; 2. The noble truth that is the arising of
suffering; 3. The noble truth that is the end of suffering; 4.
The noble truth that is the way leading to the end of
suffering."[2]
Geshe Tashi Tsering states: "The four noble truths are: 1. The
noble truth of suffering; 2. The noble truth of the origin of
suffering; 3. The noble truth of the cessation of suffering
and the origin of suffering; 4. The noble truth of the path
that leads to the cessation of suffering and the origin of
suffering."[3]
Joseph Goldstein states: "The four noble truths are the truth of
suffering, its cause, its end, and the path to that end.[4]
Mark Epstein states: "[The Buddha] formulated his first teaching
as the Four Noble Truths: suffering, its cause, its cessation,
and the path to its cessation".[5]
c. Jump up ^ See the article Dukkha for further details and citations.
d. ^ Jump up to: a b c For citations and further clarification, see
Dukkha#Neither pessimistic nor optimistic, but realistic; in
particular, see the footnotes in this section for detailed information
on sources.
e. ^ Jump up to: a b c d The Four Noble Truths are regarded as central
to the teachings of Buddhism; they were taught repeatedly by the
Buddha throughout his lifetime:
Judith Leif states: "The four noble truths are central to the
Buddhist tradition. The Buddha presented these teachings
in one of the first sermons he gave after his enlightenment,
and they were recorded in the sutra The First Turning of
the Wheel of Dharma. [...] In later teachings the Buddha
touched on the four noble truths repeatedly, expanding
upon and further elucidating his original presentation."[19]
Ron Leifer states: "The Buddha repeated over and over again
that the four noble truths are the foundation and nucleus of
his teachings. All Buddhist wisdom is contained within them
like the layers of an onion, each layer more subtle and
profound than the previous, leading to a central insight.
Monks, Buddha said, by the fact of understanding as they
really are, these four truths, a Tathagata is called an Arhat,
a fully enlightened one."[20]
Walpola Rahula states: "In [the Buddha's first] sermon, as we
have it in the original texts, these four Truths are given
briefly. But there are innumerable places in the early
Buddhist scriptures where they are explained again and
again, with greater detail and in different ways."[8]
Thich Nhat Hanh states: "The Buddha continued to proclaim
these truths right up until his Great Passing Away
(mahaparanirvana)."[11]
Ajahn Succitto states: And many would say that [the Buddha's
first discourse] was his most important discourse because it
established the basis of the teaching that he added to
throughout his lifethe teaching of "suffering and the
cessation of suffering," which he encapsulated in four great
or "noble" truths.[21]
Rupert Gethin states: "In a Nikya passage the Buddha thus
states that he has always made known just two things,
namely suffering and the cessation of suffering. This
statement can be regarded as expressing the basic
orientation of Buddhism for all times and all places. Its
classic formulation is by way of 'four noble truths'..."[22]
Piyadassi Thera states: "...the Four Noble Truths are the central
concept of Buddhism. What the Buddha taught during his
ministry of forty-five years embraces these Truths, namely:
Dukkha, suffering or unsatisfactoriness, its arising, its
cessation and the way out of this unsatisfactory state."[web
5]
f. Jump up ^ The Four Noble Truths are regarded as central to the
teachings of Buddhism; they encompass the entire spiritual path:
Walpola Rahula states: "The heart of the Buddha's teaching lies
in the Four Noble Truths (Cattri Ariyasaccni)..."[8]
The Dalai Lama states: "The Four Noble Truths are the very
foundation of the Buddhist teachings, and that is why they
are so important. In fact, if you don't understand the Four
Noble Truths, and if you have not experienced the truth of
this teaching personally, it is impossible to practice the
Buddha Dharma. Therefore I am always happy to have the
opportunity to explain them."[9]
Ringu Tulku states: "The fist instruction of the Buddha was the
teaching on the Four Noble Truths. These cannot be said
to be just "Shravakayana". They are everything. Apart from
the Four Noble Truths, there is nothing else in Buddhism.
So they are the most important thing."[10]
Thich Nhat Hanh states: "After realizing complete, perfect
awakening (samyak sambodhi), the Buddha had to find
words to share his insight. He already had the water, but he
had to discover jars like the Four Noble Truths and the
Noble Eightfold Path to hold it. The Four Noble Truths are
the cream of the Buddha's teaching."[11]
Joseph Goldstein states: "[The Buddha's] first teaching [...] is
called "Setting the Wheel of the Dharma in Motion," and it
lays out the Four Noble Truths, the basic doctrine of
liberation common to all Buddhist schools."[4]
Ajahn Sumedho states: "The Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta,
the Buddha's teaching on the Four Noble Truths, has been
the main reference that I have used for my practice over
the years. It is the teaching we used in our monastery in
Thailand. The Theravada school of Buddhism regards this
sutta as the quintessence of the teachings of the Buddha.
This one sutta contains all that is necessary for
understanding the Dhamma and for enlightenment."[12]
Geshe Tashi Tsering states: "The four noble truths lay down the
blueprint for the entire body of the Buddhas thought and
practice and set up the basic framework of the individuals
path to enlightenment. They encapsulate all of Buddhist
philosophy. Therefore studying, meditating, and fully
understanding this teaching is very important, because
without an understanding of the four noble truths it is
impossible to fully integrate the concepts and practices of
Buddhism into our daily lives."[13]
Geshe Tashi Tsering also states: "The four noble truths
encompass the entire spiritual path with all its many
aspects..."[14]
Lama Surya Das states: "The Four Noble Truths are the core of
the Buddhist Dharma."[15]
Traleg Kyabgon states: "...the Four Noble Truths are the
essence of all the Buddha's teachings. Without
understanding them, we cannot proceed. All the later
interpretations of the original Buddhist teachings are based
on the Four Noble Truths."[16]
Sharon Salzburg states: "Everything within the Buddhas
teachings can be encapsulated with I teach one thing and
one thing only. That is suffering and the end of suffering.
And the normal formulation of that is what is called the Four
Noble Truths."[web 3]
Bhikkhu Bodhi states: "The essence of the Buddhas teaching
can be summed up in two principles: the Four Noble Truths
and the Noble Eightfold Path. The first covers the side of
doctrine, and the primary response it elicits is
understanding; the second covers the side of discipline, in
the broadest sense of that word, and the primary response
it calls for is practice."[17]
Piyadassi Thera states: "In the original Pali texts, specifically in
the discourses (suttas), these Four Truths are made clear
in detail and in diverse ways. Without a clear idea of the
Truths, one cannot know what the Buddha taught for forty-
five years. To the Buddha the entire teaching is just the
understanding of dukkha, the unsatisfactory nature of all
phenomenal existence, and the understanding of the way
out of this unsatisfactoriness."[web 4]
Gil Fronsdal states: "In his first sermon, "Turning the Wheel of
the Dharma," the Buddha taught about suffering and the
end of suffering in the form of the Four Noble Truths. After
more than 2500 years they have come to us as the core
teachings of Buddhism. Almost all Buddhist traditions
consider the Four Noble Truths to be very central
teachings. Intellectually, they are easy to understand, but it
is said that a deep understanding of the full impact of these
Four Truths is possible only for someone whose liberation
is fully mature."[18]
g. Jump up ^ The Four Noble Truths are regarded as central to the
teachings of Buddhism; they have been compared to the
footprints of an elephant:
Bhikkhu Bodhi states: "The recorded teachings of the Buddha
are numerous. But all these diverse teachings fit together
into a single unifying frame, the teaching of the Four Noble
Truths. The Buddha compared the Four Noble Truths to the
footprints of an elephant. Just as the footprint of an
elephant can contain the footprints of any other animal, the
footprints of tigers, lions, dogs, cats, etc. So all the different
teachings of the Buddha fit into the single framework of the
Four Noble Truths."[web 1]
Thanissaro Bhikkhu states: "The four noble truths are the most
basic expression of the Buddha's teaching. As Ven.
Sariputta once said, they encompass the entire teaching,
just as the footprint of an elephant can encompass the
footprints of all other footed beings on earth."[web 6]
Piyadassi Thera states: [These truths] are the essence of the
Buddha's teaching. As the footprint of every creature that
walks the earth can be contained in an elephant's footprint,
which is pre-eminent for size, so does the doctrine of the
Four Noble Truths embrace all skilful Dhamma (the entire
teaching of the Buddha).' [M. 28.][web 4]
h. Jump up ^ For citations and more information on the three patterns
of dukkha, see Dukkha.
i. Jump up ^ This explanation is more common in commentaries on
the Four Noble Truths within the Theravada tradition: e.g. Ajahn
Sucitta (2010); Ajahn Sumedho (ebook); Rahula (1974); etc.
j. Jump up ^ See the article Tanha for further citations and
clarification.
k. Jump up ^ See the article Avidya (Buddhism) for further citations
and clarification.
l. Jump up ^ This explanation is more common in commentaries on
the Four Noble Truths within the Mahayana tradition: e.g. Ringu
Tulku (2005), p. 30; Chogyam Trunpa (2010); Thich Nhat Hahn
(1999), p. 22. This explanation is also given in the Abhidharma
teachings of both the Theravada and Mahayana traditions; see
Kleshas (Buddhism).
m. Jump up ^ See the respective articles for citations and further
clarification.
n. Jump up ^ Gethin states: The word satya (Pali sacca) can certainly
mean truth, but it might equally be rendered as 'real' or 'actual
thing'. That is, we are not dealing here with propositional truths
with which we must either agree or disagree, but with four 'true
things' or 'realities' whose nature, we are told, the Buddha finally
understood on the night of his awakening. [...] This is not to say
that the Buddha's discourses do not contain theoretical
statements of the nature of suffering, its cause, its cessation, and
the path to its cessation, but these descriptions function not so
much as dogmas of the Buddhist faith as a convenient conceptual
framework for making sense of Buddhist thought.[42]
o. Jump up ^ The original Tibetan Lotsawas (Sanskrit: locchwa;
Tibetan: lo ts'a ba), translators who studied Sanskrit grammar
thoroughly, used the Tibetan term bden pa, which reflects this
understanding.
p. Jump up ^ Emphasis added.
q. Jump up ^ In the Buddhist tradition, the four noble truths are often
compared to a medical diagnosis. For example:
Rupert Gethin states: "The Buddhist tradition has sometimes
compared the Buddha to a physician and the four truths to
a medical diagnosis: the truth of dukha is like a disease,
the truth of the origin of dukha is like its cause, the truth of
the cessation of dukha is like the diseases being cured,
and the truth of the path leading to the cessation of dukha
is like the medicine that brings about the diseases
cure.[Lalitavistara ii. 525, 5389 (Lefmann ed. 351, 3589);
Visuddhimagga xvi. 87.] It is the wish to relieve the
suffering of the disease and eradicate its cause that is the
starting point of Buddhist practice."[44]
Geshe Tashi Tsering states: "In his first teaching, the Buddha
compares the stages of freeing the mind to recovery from
an illness: if we dont first recognize that we are ill, we wont
seek help. And if we dont know the origin of our illness, we
cannot choose the most effective therapy. The Buddha
uses the framework of the four noble truths to formulate
this insight: the first truth, the truth of suffering, is the
illness. The second truth, the truth of the origin of suffering,
refers to the cause of the illness. The third truth, the truth of
cessation, is the understanding that a complete cure is
possible. And the fourth truth, the truth of the path that
leads to cessation, is the cure."[45]
Bhikkhu Bodhi states: "The Buddha sets out the Four Truths as
a formula a doctor uses to deal with a patient. The Buddha
first sets out the basic affliction of human life, the problem
of Dukkha. Thereafter he makes the diagnosis, explaining
the cause for the disease; this is the second truth as
craving. As a third Step the doctor gives a prognosis. He
determines the possibility of a cure, the cessation of
dukkha. The Buddha says that suffering can be ended . As
the fourth step the doctor prescribes the course of
treatment. So too Buddha prescribed the fourth truth, the
Noble Eightfold Path."[web 9]
Ron Leifer states: "Because of his compassion for sufferers, the
Buddha become known as the great physician, a physician
of the spirit. Using the medical model as a metaphor for the
four noble truths, the first noble truth describes the disease;
the second noble truth describes the cause of the disease;
the third noble truth reveals the cure for the disease; and
the fourth noble truth teaches the means for curing the
disease."[46]
Phillip Moffitt states: Thus, the Buddha, like a doctor, tells the
patient what the illness is, diagnoses the cause, tells the
patient the cure for the condition, and recommends the
medicine needed to bring about the cure."[47]
Ven. Dr. Rewata Dhamma states: "The Buddha is regarded as
the "peerless physician" (bhisakka) who is capable of
diagnosing exactly the illness of each and every being. It
was in this manner of expression that the Buddha taught
the Four Noble Truths. First, he established that the world
is founded on suffering (dukkhe loko patitthito) and that
suffering is an undeniable and universal phenomenon
(parinnatabba) one must strive to comprehend. He then
established the cause of the disease: the origin of suffering
is craving (tanha). Then the Buddha described the cure for
the disease, which is nibbana (nirodha). Finally, he
recommended the remedy, which is the Noble Eightfold
Path."[1]
Smith and Novak state: "The Buddhas approach to the problem
of life in the Four Noble Truths was essentially that of a
physician. He began by examining carefully the symptoms
that provoke concern... These symptoms the Buddha
summarized in the First Noble Truth..."[48]
Damien Keown states: "Sometimes a medical metaphor is used
to illustrate the relationship between them, and the Buddha
is likened to a physician who has found a cure for life's ills.
First he diagnoses the disease, second explains its cause,
third determines that a cure exists, and fourth sets out the
treatment.[49]
Tamara Engel states: "In the Discourses, the Buddha is often
referred to as a doctor, and The Four Noble Truths are
formulated according to the ancient Indian medical model:
1. There is an illness; 2. There is a cause(s) of illness; 3.
There is a possibility of a cure of the illness; 4. There is a
prescription i.e., what we need to do to bring about a cure.
The brilliance of this medical model is that the Buddha
offers a complete spiritual path that does not depend on
metaphysical speculation or beliefno speculation or belief
about God. No leap of faith is required. The illness the
Buddha refers to is a particular kind of suffering, and there
is nothing metaphysical about it. We all experience it. In
fact, it is said that the Buddha would never enter into a
metaphysical discussion. He stated, I teach one thing and
one thing only. Suffering and the end of suffering."[web 10]
Peter Della Santina states: One of the fundamental formulas
evolved by practitioners of the science of medicine in
ancient India was the fourfold scheme of disease,
diagnosis, cure, and treatment. If you consider carefully
these four stages in the practice of the science of medicine,
it will be apparent that they correspond very closely to the
formula of the Four Noble Truths: (1) the truth of suffering
clearly corresponds to the first element of disease; (2) the
truth of the cause just as clearly corresponds to the
element of diagnosis; (3) the truth of cessation corresponds
to the achievement of a cure; and (4) the truth of the path
just as clearly corresponds to the course of treatment of a
disease.[web 11]
Donald Lopez states: "The fact that the truths appear out of
chronological sequence, with the effect coming before its
cause, is explained through recourse to a medical model, in
which the Buddha, in setting forth the truths, is following the
procedure of a physician. The physician's first task is to
recognize that illness is indeed present and to identify it.
This is precisely what the Buddha has done in observing
that existence is qualified by suffering. The second step is
to make a diagnosis, to determine the source of the
malady. In the second truth, the truth of origin, the Buddha
explains the sequence of causes, both immediate and
mediate, that give rise to suffering. The physicians next
task is determine whether the disease is fatal or whether a
subsequent state of health is possible; that is, the physician
makes a prognosis. The third truth is the postulation of a
state free from suffering, called cessation or nirvana. Once
the prognosis is made, the physician must prescribe the
cure, the course of action that will lead from sickness to
health. The fourth and final truth of the path is said to be
the Buddha's prescription."[50]
Paul Williams states: "The formula for the four Noble Truths is
probably based on the formula for a medical diagnosis.
That is, it states the illness, the source of the illness, then
the cure for the illness, and finally the way to bring about
that cure.[51]
r. Jump up ^ In the structure of the Four Noble Truths, the Buddha
avoided metaphysical speculation. For example:
Gil Fronsdal states: I think it is significant that he chose to follow
a medical model, because it avoids metaphysics. The
religions of the world tend to be imbued with metaphysical
or cosmological beliefs that followers are required to accept
before the rest of the system can make sense. But the
Buddha felt that metaphysical speculation was not
beneficial in understanding liberation, the freedom from
suffering. He avoided dogma. He offered practices and
insights that we can verify for ourselves, rather than a
doctrine to believe in. Indeed, part of the brilliance of the
Four Noble Truths is that they offer a guide to the spiritual
life without the need to adhere to any metaphysical
beliefs.[52]
s. Jump up ^ There are many examples both in the original suttas and
in traditional and contemporary commentaries that compare the
Buddha to a physician. For example:
Thanisarro Bhikkhu identifies discourses in the Pali canon in
which the dharma is referred to as medicine, and the
Buddha as a doctor.[web 13]
Thanissaro Bhikkhu states: "What's special about the Buddha's
approach is that the problem he attacks is the whole of
human suffering, and the solution he offers is something
human beings can do for themselves. Just as a doctor with
a surefire cure for measles isn't afraid of measles, the
Buddha isn't afraid of any aspect of human suffering. And,
having experienced a happiness totally unconditional, he's
not afraid to point out the suffering and stress inherent in
places where most of us would rather not see it in the
conditioned pleasures we cling to. He teaches us not to
deny that suffering and stress or to run away from it, but to
stand still and face up to it, to examine it carefully. That
way by understanding it we can ferret out its cause
and put an end to it. Totally."[web 14]
Walpola Rahula states: "Buddhism...tells you exactly and
objectively what you are and what the world around you is,
and shows you the way to perfect freedom, peace,
tranquility and happiness. One physician may gravely
exaggerate an illness and give up hope altogether. Another
may ignorantly declare that there is no illness and that no
treatment is necessary, thus deceiving the patient with a
false consolation. You may call the first one pessimistic and
the second optimistic. Both are equally dangerous. But a
third physician diagnoses the symptoms correctly,
understands the cause and the nature of the illness, sees
clearly that it can be cured, and courageously administers a
course of treatment, thus saving his patient. The Buddha is
like the last physician. He is the wise and scientific doctor
for the ills of the world (Bhisakka or Bhaisajya-guru)."[53]
t. Jump up ^ The Discourse That Sets Turning the Wheel of Truth
identifies three stages in the understanding of each truth:
Walpola Rahula states: "[...]with regard to each of the Four
Noble Truths there are three aspects of knowledge: 1. The
knowledge that it is the Truth (sacca-a) 2. The
knowledge that a certain function or action with regard to
this Truth should be performed (kicca-a), and 3. The
knowledge that that function or action with regard to this
Truth has been performed (kata-a)."[55]
Ajahn Sucitto states: "The Buddha goes on to deepen the
significance of the practice of the four noble truths. He
begins by analyzing the first noble truth in a pattern of three
stages: acknowledgment, motivation, and resultor view,
practice, and full understanding. This pattern is then
repeated in each of the other noble truths. In each case,
the first stage is a fuller reflection on the importance of
bearing the meaning of the specific truth in mind; the
second stage demonstrates the way of practicing with that
truth; the third fully penetrates the significance of that truth.
Together, the twelve stages define the process of
awakening through the four noble truths."[56]
Ajahn Sumedho states: "Now the Four Noble Truths are: there
is suffering; there is a cause or origin of suffering; there is a
end of suffering; and there is path out of suffering which is
the Eightfold Path. Each of these Truths has three aspects
so all together there are twelve insights. In the Theravada
school, an arahant, a perfected one, is one who has seen
clearly the Four Noble Truths with their three aspects and
twelve insights."[57]
Phillip Moffitt states: "There are three insights associated with
each Noble Truth, and they follow a similar pattern: first
reflecting, then directly experiencing, and finally
knowing."[58]
Geshe Tashi Tsering states: In the [Dhammacakkappavattana
Sutta, the Buddha] repeats each noble truth three times,
each time with a slightly different emphasis and a slightly
different flavor. This repetition represents the three phases
of understanding that the Buddha himself acquired in his
ever-deepening realization of these four truths. The three
phases are as follows: knowing the nature of the truth,
knowing what needs to be done in connection with that
truth, and finally accomplishing what needs to be done.[59]
u. Jump up ^ For example, the contemporary Tibetan teacher Geshe
Tashi Tsering identifies these twelve insights in his commentary
on the four noble truths,[59] and Vietnamese teacher Thich Nhat
Hahn explains these stages in this book The Heart of the
Buddha's Teachings.[60]
v. Jump up ^ In this translation by John T. Bullit, Bullit leaves the term
"dukkha" untranslated. The main article that presents this
translation is The Four Noble Truths.[web 17] Links to each line in
the translation are as follows: line 1: First Noble Truth; line 2:
Second Noble Truth; line 3: Third Noble Truth; line 4: Fourth
Noble Truth.
w. Jump up ^ Contemporary Mahayana teacher Thich Nhat Hahn
has produced a notable rendering of the fist teaching of the
Buddha in his biography of the Buddha entitled Old Path White
Clouds.[77] Thich Nhat Hahn relied on multiple sources for this
rendering.[78] This rendering is also included in Thich Nhat
Hahn's book Path of Compassion: Stories from the Buddha's
Life.[79]
x. Jump up ^ From the Tibetan Buddhist point of view, the noble
eightfold path is implicit in this Mahayana presentation of the five
paths. For example, Geshe Tashi Tsering states: "Many people
have asked me why Tibetan Buddhism does not present the
noble eightfold path as part of the fourth noble truth, but for me
there is no difference between the noble eightfold path and the
five paths apart from the style of presentation. In the Mahayana
tradition, when the path leading to cessation is presented in the
context of the five paths, the noble eightfold path is implicit. The
noble eightfold path is the substance, and the five paths is the
process, the step-by-step progress that we have to make.[83]
y. Jump up ^ Many contemporary Buddhist teachers and scholars
offer summaries of the Four Noble Truths that begin with the
statement "there is suffering." For example:
Ajahn Sumedho: "There is suffering; there is a cause or origin
of suffering; there is a end of suffering; and there is path
out of suffering which is the Eightfold Path".[97]
Ringu Tulku (translation of the first teaching of the Buddha
according to the Mahayana tradition): "There is suffering in
this world. There are causes of this suffering. There is
cessation of suffering, and there are ways to reach this
cessation of suffering".[10]
Thich Nhat Hanh (translation of the first teaching of the Buddha
according to the Mahayana tradition): "Brothers, there are
four truths: the existence of suffering, the cause of
suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path which
leads to the cessation of suffering. I call these the Four
Noble Truths".[98]
z. Jump up ^ In this context, Epstein appears to be relating the Four
Noble Truths to primary narcissism as described by Donald
Winnicott in his theory on the True self and false self. See Epstein
(2004), p. 20[101] and Winnicott (1960),[web 28] and Priddy[web 29]
aa. Jump up ^ This summary is taken from Pema Chodron's book
Comfortable with Uncertainty (2010);[102] longer versions of this
summary can also be found in two other books by Pema
Chodron: The Wisdom of No Escape (2001, p. 51), and
Awakening Loving Kindness (1996).
bb. Jump up ^ Ajahn Sucitto states: "So the four truths (ariya
sacca) are generally called noble truths, although one might
also translate ariya as precious. "[107]
cc. ^ Jump up to: a b The complete expressions from the first
discourse (from the Pali canon) are as follows:
Dukkham ariyasaccam
Dukkhasamudayam ariyasaccam
Dukkhanirodham ariyasaccam
Dukkhanirodhagmin patipad ariyasaccam[web 34]
1.
Sources[edit]
Ajahn Sumedho (2002), The Four Noble Truths, Amaravati
Publications
Ajahn Sucitto (2010), Turning the Wheel of Truth: Commentary on the
Buddha's First Teaching, Shambhala
Barber, Anthony W. (2008), Buddhism in the Krishna River Valley
Bhikkhu Bodhi (translator) (2000), The Connected Discourses of the
Buddha: A New Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya, Boston:
Wisdom Publications, ISBN 0-86171-331-1
Bhikkhu Bodhi (2011), The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End of
Suffering, Independent Publishers Group, Kindle Edition
Bhikkhu Nanamoli (translator) (1995), The Middle Length Discourses
of the Buddha: A New Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya,
Boston: Wisdom Publications, ISBN 0-86171-072-X
Bhikkhu Thanissaro (translator) (1997), Tittha Sutta: Sectarians (AN
3.61), retrieved 2007-11-12 (See also Anguttara Nikaya)
Brazier, David (2001), The Feeling Buddha, Robinson Publishing
Buswell, Robert E. (ed.) (2003), Encyclopedia of Buddhism,
MacMillan Reference Books, ISBN 978-0-02-865718-9
Chogyam Trungpa (2009), The Truth of Suffering and the Path of
Liberation (edited by Judy Leif), Shambhala
Dalai Lama (1998), The Four Noble Truths, Thorsons
Dalai Lama (1992), The Meaning of Life, translated and edited by
Jeffrey Hopkins, Wisdom
Dhamma, Ven. Dr. Rewata (1997), The First Discourse of the
Buddha, Wisdom, ISBN 0-86171-104-1
Duff, Tony (2008), Contemplation by way of the Twelve
Interdependent Arisings, Padma Karpo Translation Committee,
retrieved 2008-08-19
Epstein, Mark (2004), Thoughts Without A Thinker: Psychotherapy
from a Buddhist Perspective, Basic Books, Kindle Edition
Feer, Leon (editor) (1976), The Samyutta Nikaya 5, London: Pali Text
Society
Fronsdal, Gil (2001), The Issue at Hand, self-published, Kindle Edition
Geshe Tashi Tsering (2005), The Four Noble Truths: The Foundation
of Buddhist Thought, Volume I, Wisdom, Kindle Edition
Geshe Tashi Tsering (2006), Buddhist Psychology: The Foundation of
Buddhist Thought, Volume III, Perseus Books Group, Kindle
Edition
Gethin, Rupert (1998), Foundations of Buddhism, Oxford University
Press
Goldstein, Joseph (2002), One Dharma: The Emerging Western
Buddhism, HarperCollins
Harvey, Peter (1990), Introduction to Buddhism, Cambridge University
Press
Kalupahana, David J. (1992-B), A history of Buddhist philosophy,
Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited
Keown, Damien (2000), Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford
University Press, Kindle Edition
Lama Surya Das (1997), Awakening the Buddha Within, Broadway
Books, Kindle Edition
Leif, Judith (2009), Introduction to 'The Truth of Suffering and the Path
of Liberation' by Chogyam Trungpa (edited by Judy Leif),
Shambhala
Leifer, Ron (1997), The Happiness Project, Snow Lion
Lopez, Donald S. (2001), The Story of Buddhism, HarperCollins
Mingyur Rinpoche (2007), The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and
Science of Happiness, Harmony Kindle Edition
Moffitt, Philip (2008), Dancing with Life: Buddhist Insights for Finding
Meaning and Joy in the Face of Suffering, Rodale, Kindle Edition
Monier-Williams (1899, 1964), A Sanskrit-English Dictionary, London:
Oxford University Press, retrieved 27 December 2008
Pema Chodron (2010), Comfortable with Uncertainty: 108 Teachings
on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion, Shambhala
Potter, Karl (2004), The Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies, Vol. IX:
Buddhist philosophy from 350 to 600 AD
Ringu Tulku (2005), Daring Steps Toward Fearlessness: The Three
Vehicles of Tibetan Buddhism, Snow Lion
Rockhill, William (1992), The Life of Buddha And the Early History of
His Order Derived from Tibetan, Asian Educational Services
Smith, Huston; Novak, Philip (2009), Buddhism: A Concise
Introduction, HarperOne, Kindle Edition
Snelling, John (1987), The Buddhist handbook. A Complete Guide to
Buddhist Teaching and Practice, London: Century Paperbacks
Thich Nhat Hanh (1991), Old Path White Clouds, Parallax Press
Thich Nhat Hanh (1999), The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching, Three
River Press
Traleg Kyabgon (2001), The Essence of Buddhism, Shambhala
Walpola Rahula (2007), What the Buddha Taught, Grove Press,
Kindle Edition
Wardner, A.K. (1970), Indian Buddhism, Delhi
Watson, Burton (1993), The Lotus Sutra, Columbia University Press
Williams, Paul (2002), Buddhist Thought, Taylor & Francis, Kindle
Edition
Williams, Paul (2008), Mahayana Buddhism: The Doctrinal
Foundations, Routledge
Further reading[edit]
The following commentaries have been written on the four noble
truths:
Ajahn Sucitto (2010), Turning the Wheel of Truth: Commentary
on the Buddha's First Teaching, Shambhala.
Ajahn Sumedho (2002), The Four Noble Truths, Amaravati
Publications. (Available for free in two formats: HTML and
downloadable PDF)
Bhikkhu Bodhi (2006), The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End
of Suffering, Pariyatti Publishing.
Chgyam Trungpa (2009), The Truth of Suffering and the Path of
Liberation, Shambhala.
Dalai Lama (1998), The Four Noble Truths, Thorsons.
Epstein, Mark (2004), Thoughts Without A Thinker:
Psychotherapy from a Buddhist Perspective. Basic Books.
Kindle Edition. (Part 1 examines the four truths from a
Western psychological perspective)
Geshe Tashi Tsering (2005), The Four Noble Truths: The
Foundation of Buddhist Thought, Volume I, Wisdom, Kindle
Edition
Gethin, Rupert (1998), Foundations of Buddhism, Oxford
University Press, (Chapter 3 is a commentary of about 25
pages.)
Lopez, Donald S. (2001), The Story of Buddhism, HarperCollins.
(pp. 4254)
Moffitt, Phillip (2008), Dancing with Life: Buddhist Insights for
Finding Meaning and Joy in the Face of Suffering, Rodale,
Kindle Edition. (An explanation of how to apply the Four
Noble Truths to daily life)
Ringu Tulku (2005), Daring Steps Toward Fearlessness: The
Three Vehicles of Tibetan Buddhism, Snow Lion. (Part 1 of 3
is a commentary on the four truths)
Thich Nhat Hanh (1999), The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching,
Three Rivers Press
Walpola Rahula (1974), What the Buddha Taught, Grove Press
External links[edit]
Complete commentaries
Four Noble Truths: Teachings by Ajahn Sumedho
The Four Noble Truths: Teachings by Ajahn Sumedho (ebook) -
an ebook version of the above commentary
Introductory material and study guides - Theravada tradition
The Four Noble Truths - Ajahn Chah
The Buddha's Ancient Path - Piyadassi Thera
The Four Noble Truths (brief overview) - Bhikkhu Bodhi
The Noble Eightfold Path: The Way to End Suffering - Bhikkhu
Bodhi
Study Guide on the Eightfold Path - Bhikkhu Bodhi, Richard
Blumberg (a study guide on Bhikkhu Bodhi's text)
Lecture on the Four Noble Truths by Bhikkhu Bodhi
The Four Noble Truths: A Study Guide - Thanissaro Bhikkhu
The Four Noble Truths - Wings to Awakening - excerpts from
suttas translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
DharmaNet - Four Noble Truths - links to several online sources
Introductory material and study guides - Mahayana tradition
Four Noble Truths - Dalai Lama (A brief overview)
Brief Introduction to the Four Noble Truths - Dalai Lama,
Alexander Berzin (an edited version of the link above)
Four Noble Truths - Thrangu Rinpoche (A brief overview)
Overview of Four Noble Truths - Alexander Berzin
Sixteen Aspects of the Four Noble Truths - Alexander Berzin
A View on the Four Noble Truths - Rudy Harderwijk
Four Noble Truths - Buddhism in the National Capital of Canada
Nichiren Buddhism
The Four Noble Truth and the Lotus Sutra
Chinese
ChineseBodhiDhammacakka at CBETA Chinese
Electronic Tripitaka As of 28 October 2008
[show]
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