The Four Noble Truths

Within Buddhism, happiness and suffering can be seen as representing two ends of the spectrum of the quality of life. Meaning, that as we move towards happiness, we naturally move away from suffering. The Buddha himself when asked ‘what do you teach?’ famously stated, “I teach suffering and the end of suffering.” In the story of the Buddha’s life, the motivation for his spiritual journey was said to be to find the answer to why we suffer. So, it’s clear, that ending suffering (and thereby achieving happiness) is the true aim of the Buddha’s teachings.

The Buddha saw our suffering as an affliction or illness and not an innate aspect of our true nature. Asserting that the main cause of our suffering was not physical or material, but instead psychological in nature. But most importantly, he discovered that this unhealthy psychological condition could be eradicated, and liberation from suffering was possible.

“When Lord Buddha spoke about suffering, he wasn't referring simply to superficial problems like illness and injury, but to the fact that the dissatisfied nature of the mind itself is suffering. No matter how much of something you get, it never satisfies your desire for better or more. This unceasing desire is suffering; its nature is emotional frustration.”

The Buddha shared this in his most renowned teaching, titled The Four Noble Truths, which can be seen as the Buddha’s teaching on nirvana and samsara. The Buddha asserted two modes of existence–unawakened or un-enlightened existence–which he referred to as samsara; and awakened or enlightened existence–which he referred to as nirvana. Nirvana and samsara can be understood as states or qualities of the mind. States of mind that govern our perception and views, thereby influencing our experience of reality. With nirvana representing clarity, liberation, and happiness, and samsara representing confusion, bondage, and suffering.

Samsara – translated as cyclic existence. Traditionally, samsara is to be trapped in the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Samsara, or unawakened existence, is a state or quality of mind that’s pervaded by suffering, in the form of confusion, anxiety, insecurity, and dissatisfaction. Described as habitual mundane existence, it is commonly depicted as a mental state we’re trapped in. To be trapped in our own mental confusion, afflictions, fears, and uncontrollable habits and impulses. It’s to be trapped in our compulsive attachments and aversions, our selfish and immature attitudes, our pettiness, and our need for continuous validation. At its core, samsara is neurotic self-centered existence, arising from exaggerated views of the immediacy and importance of ourselves and our experiences.

“Samsara: an unhealthy psychological disposition of the ordinary state; representing psychological bondage and moral bankruptcy.”

Nirvana – translated as ‘to extinguish’, pertaining to the extinguishing of the three poisons (ignorance, attachment, and aversion). Nirvana is awakened or enlightened existence. A state or quality of mind attained by those who have transcended their afflictions and limitations, thereby clearly and unmistakably apprehending the true nature of themselves and reality. When asked to define nirvana, the Buddha simply said, “nirvana is the end of suffering” , or translated from Tibetan, ‘to pass beyond sorrow’.

“Nirvana: a healthy psychological disposition of the liberated state; the attainment of nirvana representing psychological freedom and moral perfection.”

The Four Noble Truths

In the title of this teaching, the phrase noble truth can be understood as, that which is perceived as true by noble beings (awakened practitioners). This teaching, besides being considered the Buddha’s first and most famous discourse, also serves as the framework for all Buddhist thought. It’s said that all of the Buddha’s wisdom is contained within these four truths. It’s important to understand that these ‘four truths known by noble beings’ are not assertions based on a surface- level examination of life, but instead at the subtlest and most profound level of analysis. These teachings should not be viewed merely within the context of one’s own life, but rather in the context of sentient existence as a whole. The Four Noble Truths are,

The Four Noble Truths

1. The truth of suffering
2. The truth of the cause (of suffering)
3. The truth of the cessation (of suffering)
4. The truth of the path (leading to the cessation of suffering) – The Eightfold Path

The 1st Noble Truth - The truth of suffering

The first noble truth asserts that unawakened existence (samsara) is pervaded by suffering (physical, emotional, and mental pain; confusion, anxiety, insecurity, and dissatisfaction). According to the Buddha this suffering includes birth, aging, illness/injury, death; union with what is displeasing; separation from what is pleasing; and not getting what we want. This truth doesn’t refute the fact that we experience happiness; but asserts that the happiness we find is often unstable, unreliable, fleeting, and largely out of our control. The First Noble Truth underscores the problems and unsatisfactory nature of ordinary existence.

The 2nd Noble Truth - The truth of the cause of suffering

The second noble truth pertains to the cause of suffering (the cause of samsara), asserting that desire or craving as the immediate cause of our suffering. Which includes our obsessive pursuit and attachment to what we want (and our aversion to what we don’t want), our delight in sensual pleasure and experiences, and our desire for existence and/or nonexistence. However, on a deeper level, desire has its own source, which is ignorance. Within Buddhism, the term ignorance is defined as, not knowing, knowing the wrong thing, or not wanting to know. Ignorance is considered a foundational existential confusion and misunderstanding of the true nature of ourselves and reality. Ignorance is seen as the root cause of our suffering, from which all other afflictions arise.

The 3rd Noble Truth - The truth of the cessation of suffering

The third noble truth pertains to the cessation of suffering, which is the attainment of nirvana. This truth is an assurance from the Buddha that liberation from suffering is indeed possible. The cessation of suffering is attained through transcending the three poisons of ignorance, attachment (including desire and craving), and aversion. This is achieved through the cultivation of the Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path.

The 4th Noble Truth - The truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering

The fourth noble truth pertains to the path leading to the cessation of suffering (nirvana). Referred to as the Eightfold Path, this is the Buddha’s prescribed method for transcending samsara and thereby attaining nirvana. The Eightfold Path is built upon, and is a deeper elaboration of, the Threefold Path.

The Noble Eightfold Path

1. Right view – Accurately understanding The Four Noble Truths and the nature of reality
2. Right intention – Renunciation*, intentions that conform to the Buddha’s teachings
3. Right speech – Avoiding lying, slander, gossip, harsh words, idle chatter, and abuse
4. Right action – Skillful deeds and behavior that conform to the Buddha’s teachings
5. Right livelihood** - voiding work that directly or indirectly harms sentient beings
6. Right effort – Diligent application and joyful persistence in one’s practice
7. Right mindfulness – Properly applying focused and vigilant attention
8. Right awareness – The development of higher mental and meditative states

Notes: Traditionally the last three aspects of the Eightfold Path: right effort, right mindfulness, and right awareness, pertain specifically to one’s meditation practice. * Renunciation, in its Buddhist context, is seen as the opposite of greed–a letting go of that which binds us. It’s to transcend the grasping nature of the mind and to free ourselves from our obsessive desire, craving, attachment, and aversion. Renunciation is commonly defined as, ‘the determination to be free from samsara’, or simply, ‘the wish for freedom.’ ** Livelihood, in this context, is not merely occupation but refers to the way in which we sustain our lives. To avoid manipulating others to get what we want through flattery, hinting, coaxing, seeking reward, or means of force.