THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS IN PLAIN ENGLISH:
There are so many lists in Buddhism: the seven factors of enlightenment, the four clear comprehensions, the five aggregates, the four foundations of mindfulness, and so forth. There is even a Dharma book that lists all the lists according to how many numbers each list has.
However, the Buddha said he taught only one thing: the nature of suffering and the release from suffering. And this teaching is framed within the context of The Four Noble Truths. When we understand these Four Truths, we realize how all the lists and teachings come together.
There are three stages of working with the Four Noble Truths:
1. We intellectually grasp each truth.
2. We reflect on each truth until we realize the logic and rationality of each truth and see how each one applies to our own lives.
3. We apply the practices related to each truth until these truths directly transform our lives.
Noble Truth #1: Life is inherently problematic and we suffer
The following are some ways in which we suffer:
1. The birth process (i.e., for both the mother and child)
2. The aging process (e.g., weakness, memory issues, becoming dependent on others, etc.)
3. Illness (e.g., physical issues, pain, psychological issues, etc.)
4. The dying process (e.g., fear, confusion, discomfort, etc.)
5. Not getting what we want (Sometimes getting what we want!)
6. Losing what we have (or the fear of losing what we have)
7. Meeting with unpleasant people and circumstances
8. Having to separate from our loved ones or from pleasant circumstances or experiences.
9. Experiencing painful or difficult emotions (e.g., anger, hatred, envy, grief, jealousy, confusion, sadness, etc.)
10. Attachment to the idea that we are independent beings who have (or should have) total control over our lives. Also, based upon the same idea of self, taking things personally, fearing of what others will think of “us,” and so forth.
Noble Truth #2: We suffer not because of the circumstances of our lives, but because we want our lives to be different than they are.
When we say “no” to what life is presenting, we are expressing the height or epitome of irrationality. When we resist whatever we are experiencing, whether it is a physical issue, a relationship issue, a psychological issue or an unpleasant circumstance, we are believing that our mentally constructed “self” knows better than Life what we should be encountering.
This does not mean that we should avoid trying to change either the circumstances or our perceptions of the circumstances that we are experiencing. It simply means, if we look closely, that our suffering is not coming from the circumstances themselves, but from wanting them to be different than they are.
Why is it that we want things to be different than they are? There are basically two reasons. The first is that our conditioned self construct tends to seek those things which are pleasurable, and resists those things that are unpleasant.
The second is that we believe that our mind, or consciousness, is separate from “others” or from “external” objects. Therefore we seek in the world what we feel or believe is lacking in our lives.
Noble Truth #3: To experience freedom from suffering we need to accept life on its own terms.
The way to say yes to life is to listen mindfully and deeply to the truth of each moment, and then to live from that truth without reservation. This is in contrast to living from a sense of self that wants life to meet its own expectations and selfish desires. When we say yes to life, all suffering ceases.
Saying yes to life as it naturally unfolds is a consequence of realizing of the emptiness of the self-construct, and the consequent extinguishing of grasping and resistance. This form of presence is referred to as nirvana in the Buddhist lexicon. Awakening (Nirvana) is not a place, a state of consciousness or a particular experience. It is simply living without the artificial boundaries created by self-identification.
Awakening can also be described as living with the realization of non-duality. It is recognizing that we are the space within which life unfolds – a presence beyond the dualistic world of creation.
Noble Truth #4: There is a path that leads to the end of suffering – The Noble Eightfold Path. (or in our case we will study a modified version - the Eight Concentric Circles.
Many spiritual traditions describe a path leading to the end of suffering. And as you know, some traditions say that there is no path possible since truth is already present. Paradoxically, both of these perspectives are true.