The Four Noble Truths are a core part of Buddhism, arising from Buddha’s enlightenment and found in the Pali Canon. They state that suffering is caused by attachments, but can be ended through the Noble Eightfold Path.
The Four Noble Truths are a fundamental part of Buddhism. They are said to arise directly from the insights and thoughts of Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) soon after he attained enlightenment, and feature in some early Buddhist texts, most notably the Pali Canon. This is the collection of works said to be the written record of the teachings of Buddha and his disciples, 500 years after Buddha’s death. This would date the canon to around 2,000 years ago. The Four Noble Truths may have been the subject of the Buddha’s first sermon.
In the Pali Canon and other works, the Four Noble Truths are the essential foundation of Buddhism, but some argue that they cannot be realized or accepted by all. You may need to be “ready” to hear them. However, a willingness to hear truths and appreciate them as non-negotiables rather than good ideas is important to achieving enlightenment and continuing to follow a Buddhist path.
In short, the Four Noble Truths begin with the concept that to live or to live means you will suffer. This is the first truth: suffering is common to all of us. The second truth is that suffering is caused by our attachments not only to the things we own and to the people we love, but also because we cling to the ideas we hold. Some identify this as the origin of suffering and suggest that our constant attachments or “craving” even keep us tied to reincarnation. We cannot stop wanting things: life, love, objects and so on.
The third of the Four Noble Truths may require much more acceptance. People have to believe that there is a way to end suffering. Finally, the fourth truth is that there is not only a way to end suffering, but also a path to end suffering. This path may not be completely complete in one lifetime and may take several lifetimes to complete.
The path to ending suffering in the last of the Four Noble Truths is called the Noble Eightfold Path. This path involves study and focus to develop wisdom, ethical conduct, and focus. The person who wishes to cease suffering must develop right view, right determination, right speech, right action, right concentration, right livelihood, and right mindfulness. This is not the work of a moment and all these things can be worked on at the same time. The idea is that over time a person can develop these things and when a person has totally attained all things in the Eightfold Path, he attains Nirvana.
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