The Four Noble Truths

Yoda

The Four Noble Truths (Pali Cattāri Ariyasaccāni)

I. The Noble Truth of Suffering (Pali Dukkha-ariyasacca)

II. The Noble Truth of the Arising of Suffering (Pali Dukkhasamudaya-ariyasacca)

III. The Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering: (Pali Dukkhanirodha-ariyasacca)

IV. The Noble Truth of the Way Leading to the Cessation of Suffering (Pali Dukkhanirodhagāmiṇīpaṭipadā-ariyasacca). Also known as the Path (Pali Magga), the Middle Way (Pali Majjhimā Paṭipadā), and the Noble Eightfold Path (Pali Ariya-Aṭṭhaṅgika-Magga).

mickmacdublin

I am no expert but here is my understanding.

The first noble truth states the obvious - that there is suffering. Life involves suffering whether is the suffering of illness, aging, being born or dying, not getting what we want or getting what we don't want.

The second truth states that this suffering has a cause. Put basically this cause is our ignorance of the way things are. We suffer because we try to achieve happiness based on a delusory concept of self and other. Since this self does not exist no lasting happiness can be achieved for it.

The third truth says that if suffering has a cause it also has a end - stop doing what causes it! To stop suffering we need to understand the way things really are.

The fourth truth is the truth of the path in which the Buddha outlines the eight things which need to be developed to allow one to understand reality as it really is. This is the eightfold path as outlined by Yoda above.

Don't know if that is any clearer.

Mick

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Here is a four part video from the Dalai Lama on the four noble truths:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXmdKWVirUA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoMJ2B3v1iU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3t0uMdPT6g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTs6HnSqHmo

Asiaprod

Thank you, will enjoy this.

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Welcome.

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I just finished watching the four videos. I definitely need to watch them again and take notes as there is so much information contained in them.