Cultivating the Four Noble Truths

We begin cultivating The Four Noble Truths through study, contemplation, and meditation. Once a general understanding is achieved, we then apply that knowledge to the aim of directly realizing these truths. Regarding this, the Buddha asserted a unique task or aim for each of the four truths,

The Four Tasks

1. Sufferings are to be understood – gaining a thorough understanding of sufferings and their causes; an understanding that is both conceptual as well as experiential.
2. Their causes are to be abandoned – transcending desire, craving, attachment, aversion, and the ignorance that are their causes.
3. Their cessation is to be actualized – cultivating the clarity and wisdom of awakening
4. The Eightfold Path is to be relied upon – applying oneself diligently to the cultivation and mastery of the Eightfold path.

Ordinary practitioners are said to ‘practice’ The Four Tasks, whereas realized beings are said to ‘directly realize’ them. Meaning, they have fully realized sufferings, completely abandoned their causes, and perfectly actualized cessation, by thoroughly cultivating the path.

Cultivating The Eightfold Path

There are various opinions on how best to cultivate the Eightfold Path. The general consensus is that the most effective method is to engage with all eight aspects simultaneously (disregarding their numerical order). Again, the Eightfold Path is built upon, and is a deeper elaboration of, the Threefold Path.

The Eightfold Path pertaining to The Threefold Path