The Buddha taught eighty four thousand teachings throughout his life, and the main purpose for giving these teachings to his disciples was to both bring temporary relief from suffering, and eventually the attainment of liberation from samsara. Among his teachings, the four noble truths are the most practiced by all three vehicles, or the three levels of Buddhist practitioners.
The four noble truths are: the truth of suffering, the truth of the source of suffering, the truth of the path, and the truth of cessation. These four truths are divided into causes and effects. The first two truths explain worldly causes and effects. The truth of suffering refers to pain or worry, which are everyday occurrences in life. From the moment one is born, one takes part in the suffering of rebirth, old age, sickness, and finally death. There is no way to stop this continuity; it is like a propeller which does not stop. In order to become free from this cycle, one must know what is the source of such pain.
Now, the second truth, which is the truth of the source of suffering, explains why one is suffering, and unless one stops committing misdeeds, or engaging in non-virtuous actions, one will never be free from such pain. One has to give up harmful actions such as killing, stealing, lying, engaging in sexual misconduct, and acting out of hatred, jealousy, and pride. This pair of cause and effect represent the samsaric truth of cause and effect .
The third truth, which is the truth of the path, refers to following the teachings of the Buddha, such as the four noble truths, the twelve links of interdependence, loving-kindness, compassion, the mind of the awakened ones, impermanence, and emptiness. When one does not let one’s negative emotions control one’s actions and sincerely pursues the course laid out in the Buddhist teachings, the ill-effects of samsara will gradually be reduced.
The fourth truth, the truth of cessation, means that whoever embraces the right attitude and right conduct described in the Buddhist teachings eventually bring about the cessation of suffering, and experience true freedom from the cycle of anxieties and unhappiness. This freedom from suffering is known as liberation. This pair of cause and effect represent nirvanic cause and effect.
The practice of the four noble truths is very important in obtaining temporal relief from mundane suffering and ultimately enable one to achieve nirvana. Boston. 25/10/13
The four noble truths
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