Four Noble Truths

By Henry ChuTemple Master

Introduction

• Last week we visited the Eightfold Path so this week we will visit the other foundational Buddhist teaching, the Four Noble Truth

• The Four Noble Truth is intimately connected to the Eightfold path because the Fourth Truth is the Eightfold Path

• Therefore the two teachings are essentially one

Introduction

• The Four Noble Truth are: Life is suffering (dukkha), Origin of Suffering, The Cessation of Suffering, and the Path Leading to Cessation of Suffering

• The gist of Four Noble Truth is the understanding and the way to evade Suffering

• This is the foundational teaching--the advance teaching of Buddhism takes a different turn on the perspective of suffering

Four Noble Truth

• The First Truth—Life is suffering• Buddha’s initial motivation to seek

enlightenment is due to suffering• The eight inevitable sufferings of life are:– Birth --Aging– Sickness --Death– Unfulfilled desires --Overwhelming senses– Separation of beloved --Gathering of hateful

Four Noble Truth

• The First Truth—Life is Suffering• The Buddhist perspective is that life is a

suffering sea and that sufferings are inevitable part of life

• Therefore the evasion of the sufferings of life is the primary goal of Buddhist practitioner and that the subsequent works are gearing toward this goal

Four Noble Truth

• The Second Truth—The Origin of Suffering• There are many types of desires, all of which

can lead to suffering– Types of desires: • Sensual desires--cravings (i.e. food, sleep, sex) • Emotional desires—desire for love, power, dominance• Spiritual desires—need to exist (physical attachment)

– Desire arise out of “ignorance” – Ignorance arise out of ego

Four Noble Truth

• The Second Truth—The Origin of Suffering• By understand the origin of suffering, the

practitioner gains a perspective on suffering and realize their pursue of desires are the root cause of their sufferings

• With the new found perspective, the practitioners can begin to reverse the cycle of suffering and transcend out of suffering

The Four Noble Truth

• The Third Truth—The Cessation of Suffering• The eradication of all desires is the way toward

the cessation of suffering• When a person achieved the state of without

desires, then the Nirvana experience will occur, by which the person will no longer get caught in the cycle of suffering

• The way to achieve the state without desire is the Fourth Truth

The Four Noble Truth

• The Fourth Truth—the Path toward the Cessation of Suffering

• The Eightfold path is the path toward the cessation of suffering

• The Eightfold path are:– Right perspective --Right thought– Right speech --Right action– Right livelihood --Right endeavor– Right mindfulness --Right meditation

The Four Noble Truth

• The Advance Perspective– The Hinayana tradition (the small vehicle) is totally

focused on the Four Noble Truth so their entire focus of practice is on the evasion of sufferings

– The Mahayana tradition (the great vehicle tradition) is less focus on the evasion of suffering, rather it focus on the expansion of the capacity to endure suffering

– The Bodhisattva way is the enduring of sufferings for others so they too can attain Nirvana

Conclusion

• The Four Noble Truth (along with the Eightfold path) are the foundational teachings of Buddhism.

• The entire focus is on the evasion of suffering and the ways to achieve the state of non-suffering (or Nirvana)

• The Mahayana tradition expanded on the teaching to the embrace of sufferings

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