The Four Noble Truths

The following description is extracted from Mahaasatipatthaana Sutta in the Long Discourses of the Buddha. One needs to go through each minute part here in details and remember each part very well. In the meditation session, go through them in sequence and test the meaning of each term and approve it if it is acceptable to you. For example, when Buddha says that 'birth is suffering' you should investigate from your own mind why the birth is suffering. How the acquisition of the sense-faculties leads to suffering and so on. Learning other discouses helps you to arrive at the correct conclusion, for example in the discourse on concentration in the book of aggregates (Connected Discoureses ) Buddha teaches the Origin and passing away of form, feeling, perception, volitional fromations and consciousness. I find reading this discouse very useful in analysing the five aggregates of clinging.

1. Noble Truth of Suffering

"And what, monks, is the Noble Truth of Suffering? Birth is suffering, ageing is suffering, death is suffering, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness and distress are suffering. Union with what is displeasing is suffering, separation from what is pleasing is suffering, not getting what one wants is suffering. In short, the five aggregates of grasping are suffering.

'And what, monks, is birth? In whatever beings, of whatever group of beings, there is birth, coming to be, coming forth, the appearance of the aggregates, the acquisition of the sense bases that, monks, is called birth.

'And what is ageing? In whatever beings, of whatever group of beings, there is ageing, decrepitude, broken teeth, grey hair, wrinkled skin, shrinking with age, decay of the sense-faculties, that, monks, is called ageing.

'And what is death? In whatever beings, of whatever group of beings, there is a passing away, a removal, a cutting off, a disappearance, a death, a dying, an ending, a cutting off of the aggregates, a discarding of the body, that, monks, is called death.

'And what is sorrow? Whenever, by any kind of misfortune, anyone is affected by something of a painful nature, sorrow, mourning, distress, inward grief, inward woe, that, monks, is called sorrow.

'And what is lamentation? Whenever, by any kind of misfortune, anyone is affected by something of a painful nature and there is crying out, lamenting, making much noise for grief, making great lamentation, that, monks, is called lamentation.

'And what is pain? Whatever bodily painful feeling, bodily unpleasant feeling, painful or unpleasant feeling results from bodily contact, that, monks, is called pain.

'And what is sadness? Whatever mental painful feeling, mental unpleasant feeling, painful or unpleasant sensation results from mental contact, that, monks, is called sadness.

'And what is distress? Whenever, by any kind of misfortune, anyone is affected by something of a painful nature, distress, great distress, affliction with distress, with great distress, that, monks, is called distress.

'And what, monks, is union with what is displeasing? Here, whoever has unwanted, disliked, unpleasant sight objects, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles or mind objects, or whoever encounters ill wishers, wishers of harm, of discomfort, of insecurity, with whom they have concourse, intercourse, connection, union, that, monks, is called being attached to the unloved.

'And what, monks, separation from what is pleasing? Here, whoever has what is wanted, liked, pleasant sight objects, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles or mind objects, or whoever encounters well wishers, wishers of good, of comfort, of security, mother or father or brother or sister or younger kinsmen or friends or colleagues or blood relations, and then is deprived A such concourse, intercourse, connection, or union, that, monks is called being separated from the loved.

'And what is not getting what one wants? In beings subject to birth monks, this wish arises: Oh that we were not subject to birth, that we might not come to birth!" But this cannot be gained by wishing. That is not getting what one wants. In beings subject to ageing, to disease, to death, to sorrow, lamentation pain, sadness and distress this wish arises; Oh if we were not subject to ageing ... distress, that we might not come to these things!" But this cannot be gained by wish. That is not getting what one wants.

And how, monks, in short, are the five aggregates of grasping suffering? They are as follows: the aggregate of grasping is form, the aggregate of grasping that is feeling, the aggregate of grasping that is perception, the aggregate of grasping that is the mental formations, the aggregate of grasping that is consciousness," These are, in short, the five aggregates of grasping that are suffering. And that, monks, is called the Noble Truth of Suffering.

2. The Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering?

It is that craving which gives rise to rebirth, accompanied by pleasure & delight, finding fresh delight now here & now there -- that is to say, craving for sensuality, craving for existance, craving for non-existance.

"And where does this craving arise and establishes itself? Whenever in the world there is anything agreeble and pleasurable, there this craving, arises and establishes itself?

'And what is there in the world that is agreeable and pleasurable? The eye in the world is agreeable and pleasurable, the ear..., the nose..., the tongue..., the body..., the mind in the world is agreeable and pleasurable, and there this craving arises and establishes itself. Sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles, mind objects in the world are agreeable and pleasurable, and there this craving arises and establishes itself.

'Eye consciousness, ear consciousness, nose consciousness, tongue consciousness, body consciousness, mind consciousness in the world is agreeable and pleasurable, and there this craving arises and establishes itself.

'Eye contact, ear contact, nose contact, tongue contact, body contact, mind contact in the world is agreeable and pleasurable, and there this craving arises and establishes itself.

'Feeling born of eye contact, ear contact, nose contact, tongue contact, body contact, mind contact in the world is agreeable and pleasurable, and there this craving arises and estabfishes itself.

'The perception of sights, of sounds, of smells, of tastes, of tangibles, of mind objects in the world is agreeable and pleasurable, and there this craving arises and establishes itself

'Volition in regard to sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles, mind objects in the world is agreeable and pleasurable, and there this craving arises and establishes itself.

'The craving for sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles, mind objects in the world is agreeable and pleasurable, and there this craving arises and establishes itself.

'Thinking of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles, mindobjects in the world is agreeable and pleasurable, and there this craving arises and establishes itself.

'Pondering on sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles and mind objects in the world is agreeable and pleasurable, and there this craving arises and establishes itself. And that, monks, is called the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering.

3 The Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering

It is the complete fading away and extinction of this craving, its forsaking and abandonment, liberation from it, detachment from it. And how does this craving come to he abandoned, how does its cessation come about?

'Wherever in the world there is anything agreeable and pleasurable, there its cessation comes about. And what is there in the world that is agreeable and pleasurable?

'The eye in the world is agreeable and pleasurable, the ear ... the nose. . ., the tongue. . ., the body. . ., the mind in the world is agreeable and pleasurable, and there this craving comes to be abandoned, there its cessation comes about:

'Eye consciousness, ear consciousness, nose consciousness, tongue consciousness, body consciousness, mind consciousness in the world is agreeable and pleasurable, and there this craving comes to be abandoned, there its cessation comes about.

'Sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles, mind objects in the world are agreeable and pleasurable, and there this craving comes to be abandoned, there its cessation comes about.

'Eye contact, ear contact, nose contact, tongue contact, bodycontact, mind contact ... the perception of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles, mind objects...; volition in regard to sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles, mind objects... ; craving for sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles, mindobjects ... ; thinking of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles, mind objects...; pondering on sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles and mind objects in the world is agreeable and pleasurable, and there this craving comes to an end, there its cessation comes about. And that, monks, is called the Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering.

4 The Noble Truth of the Way of Practice Leading to the Cessation of Suffering

It is just this Noble Eightfold Path, namely: Right View, Right Thought; Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood; Right Effort Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration.

Click here to learn about Noble Eightfold Path.