The Teachings of the Buddha
The Four Immeasureables
May all sentient beings have happiness and the root of happiness;
Be free from suffering and the root of suffering.
May they not be seperated from the great happiness devoid of suffering.
May they dwell in the great equanimity, free from atachement to those near and aversion to those far.
The Four Noble Truths
The First Noble Truth
The Reality of Suffering -- dukkha
The Pali word dukkha, in ordinary usage means 'suffering', 'pain', 'sorrow' or 'misery'. But in the context of
the First Noble Truth, dukkha also means 'imperfection', 'impermanence', 'emptiness', 'insubstantiality'.
There are three kinds of suffering:
Ordinary Suffering--dukkha-dukkha
Suffering produced by Change--virapinama-dukkha
Suffering as Conditioned States--samkara-dukkha
Ordinary Suffering--dukkha-dukkha
There are all kinds of suffering in life: birth, old age, sickness, death, association with unpleasant
persons and conditions, separation from beloved ones and pleasant conditions, not getting what one
desires, grief, lamentation, distress--all forms of physical and mental suffering.
Suffering produced by Change--virapinama-dukkha
Pleasant and happy feelings or conditions in life are not permanent. Sooner or later they change.
When they change they may produce pain, suffering, unhappiness or dissappointment. This
vicissitude is considered viparimana-dukkha.
Suffering as Conditioned States--samkara-dukkha
An 'individual', an 'I' or a 'self' is a combination of ever-changing mental and physical forces which
can be divided into five groups or 'aggregates' (pancakkhandha). Suffering as conditioned states is
produced by attachment to these five aggregates:
•Matter--rupakkhandha
•Sensations--vedanakkhandha
•Perceptions--sannakkhandha
•Mental Formations--sankharakkhandha
•Consciousness--vinnanakkhandha
The Second Noble Truth
The Cause of Suffering-- samudaya
The principle cause of suffering is the attachment to "desire" or "craving" (tanha). Both desire to have
(wanting) and desire not to have (aversion).
1. Desire for sense-pleasures--kama-tanha
The desire for sense pleasures manifests itself as wanting to have pleasant experiences:
the taste of good food, pleasant sexual experiences, delightful music.
2. Desire to become--bhava-tanha
The desire to become is the ambition that comes with wanting attaiments or recognition or
fame. It is the craving to "be a somebody".
3. Desire to get rid of--vibhava-tanha
The desire to get rid of the unpleasant experiences in life: unpleasant sensations, anger,
fear, jealousy.
The clinging to desire comes from our experience that short-term satisfaction comes from following
desire. We ignore the fact that satisfying our desires doesn't bring an end to them.
The Third Noble Truth
The Cessation of Suffering -- nirodha
The end of suffering is non-attachment, or letting go of desire or craving. This is the state of Nibbana,
where greed, hatred and delusion are extinct.
Freedom from attachments to the five aggregates of attachment is the end of suffering. This freedom is
not conditioned by causes, as are the conditioned states: Nibbana is the non-attachment to conditioned
experience.
To understand the unconditioned, we need to see for ourselves that everything that has a nature to be
born has a nature to die: that every phenomenon that has a cause is impermanent. By letting go of
attachment to desire for conditioned phenomena, desire can come to an end and we can be liberated
from suffering.
The Fourth Noble Truth
The Way to the Cessation of Suffering and
The Noble Eightfold Path -- magga
The end to suffering will result by following the Noble Eightfold Path--Ariya-Atthangika-Magga. There
are three qualities that must be developed to attain Nirvana: Morality--Sila, Concentration--Samadhi,
and Wisdom--Panna.
1. Widsom--Panna
•Right Understanding--samma ditthi
•Right Thought--samma sankappa
Wisdom comes from understanding the three characteristics of existence:
•all conditioned phenomena are impermanent
•all conditioned phenomena are not personal, not self
•attachment to desire for impermanent phenomena leads to suffering
"Right Understanding" of the impermanent, non-self nature of phenonmena and that attachment to them
leads to suffering brings about "Right Thought", i.e. the aspiration or intention to be liberated from
suffering and to understand the truth.
The deepening of wisdom is enhanced when the lifestyle and mind are calmed through the practices of
Morality--Sila and Concentration--Samadhi.
2. Morality--Sila
•Right Speech--samma vaca
•Right Action--samma kammanta
•Right Livelihood--samma ajiva
Adherence to moral guidelines--precepts--is an essential protection from causing suffering to oneself and
to others. While these guidelines define a code of discipline, the virtues that bring about moral behaviour
can also be cultivated with the practice of a culture of the heart.
There are 5 basic precepts that Buddhist practitioners undertake (Monks and Nuns undertake many
more). A modern analysis of these precepts is offered by the Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh. They
are:
1.Reverence for Life (refrain from killing)
2.Generosity (refrain from stealing)
3.Sexual Responsibility (refrain from sexual misconduct)
4.Deep Listening and Loving Speech (refrain from lying)
5.Mindful Consumption (refrain from ingesting intoxicants)
In the context of the Eightfold path, these 5 precepts imply:
Right Speech
Right Speach means to tell the truth and speak appropriately in accordance with the 4th precept.
Specificially, it implies abstaining from lying; divisive gossip; rude and abusive language; idle and useless
chatter.
Right Action
Right actions are the the actions that are consistent with precepts 1, 2, 3 and 5. They include actions
that show reverence for life, generosity and restraint in sexual conduct.
Right Livelihood
Right livelihood means that one should earn a living that allows the 5 precepts to flourish. Dealing in
arms, drugs or violence; exploitation of others and profiteering cannot be conducive to the moral life.
3. Concentration--Samadhi
•Right Effort--samma vayama
•Right Mindfulness--samma sati
•Right Concentration--samma samadhi
This Page will always be Under Construction; This is the Nature of Impermanence.