|
A Study Guide prepared by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
Introduction ![[go to top]](../images/scrollup.gif)
The four noble truths are the most basic expression of the Buddha's
teaching. As Ven. Sariputta once said, they encompass the entire
teaching, just as the footprint of an elephant can encompass the
footprints of all other footed beings on earth.
These four truths are best understood, not as beliefs, but as
categories of experience. They offer an alternative to the ordinary
way we categorize what we can know and describe, in terms of me/not
me, and being/not being. These ordinary categories create trouble, for
the attempt to maintain full being for one's sense of "me"
is a stressful effort doomed to failure, in that all of the components
of that "me" are inconstant, stressful, and thus not worthy
of identifying as "me" or "mine."
To counter this problem, the four noble truths drop ideas of me/not
me, and being/not being, and replace them with two sets of variables:
cause and effect, skillful and unskillful. In other words, there is
the truth of stress and suffering (unskillful effect), the truth of
the origination of stress (unskillful cause), the truth of the
cessation of stress (skillful effect), and the truth of the path to
the cessation of stress (skillful cause). Each of these truths entails
a duty: stress is to be comprehended, the origination of stress
abandoned, the cessation of stress realized, and the path to the
cessation of stress developed. When all of these duties have been
fully performed, the mind gains total release. Many people have charged Buddhism with being pessimistic because
the four truths start out with stress and suffering, but this charge
misses the fact that the first truth is part of a strategy of
diagnosis and therapy focusing on the basic problem in life so as to
offer a solution to it. Thus the Buddha was like a doctor, focusing on
the disease he wanted to cure. Charging him with pessimism is like
charging a doctor with pessimism when he asks, "Where does it
hurt?" The total cure the Buddha promised as a result of his
course of therapy shows that, in actuality, he was much less
pessimistic than the vast majority of the world, for whom wisdom means
accepting the bad things in life with the good, assuming that there is
no chance in this life for unalloyed happiness. The Buddha was an
extremely demanding person, unwilling to bend to this supposed wisdom
or to rest with anything less than absolute happiness. His course of
therapy points to the fact that such a happiness is possible, and can
be attained through our own efforts.
Another charge often leveled at Buddhism is that its focus is
narrow, aiming only at the issue of stress and pain, and ignoring the
larger or more uplifting issues of spiritual life. This, again, misses
the thrust of the Buddha's cure for the ills of the heart and mind.
One of the most important insights leading up to the Buddha's
Awakening was his realization that the act of comprehending pain lay
at the essence of the spiritual quest. In trying to comprehend pain,
one begins to delve into the non-verbal, subconscious levels of the
mind, bringing to light many ill-formed and hidden processes of which
one was previously unaware. In this sense, pain is like a watering
hole where all the animals in the forest — all the mind's
subconscious tendencies — will eventually come to drink. Just as a
naturalist who wants to make a survey of the wildlife in a particular
area can simply station himself near a watering hole, in the same way,
a meditator who wants to understand the mind can simply keep watch
right at pain in order to see what subconscious reactions will appear.
Thus the act of trying to comprehend pain leads not only to an
improved understanding of pain itself, but also to an increased
awareness of the most basic processes at work in the mind. As one
fully comprehends pain, one gains a full comprehension of other
spiritual issues as well, realizing which questions were worth asking
and which ones weren't, at the same time gaining answers to the first
set of questions and learning how to put the second set aside.
Thus the study of the four noble truths is aimed first at
understanding these four categories, and then at applying them to
experience so that one may act properly toward each of the categories
and thus attain the highest, most total happiness possible.
The material in this study guide starts with a basic exercise in
categorizing one's actions in terms of the variables at the heart of
the four noble truths: cause and effect, and skillful and unskillful.
It then builds on this understanding by discussing the role of the
four noble truths in the course of the practice, and then analyzing in
detail each of the truths, together with the duty appropriate to each.
Further related readings can be found in the book, The Wings to
Awakening.
§ 1. The
Buddha: "What do you think, Rahula: What is a mirror
for?"
Rahula: "For reflection, sir."
The Buddha: "In the same way, Rahula, bodily acts,
verbal acts, & mental acts are to be done with repeated
reflection.
"Whenever you want to perform a bodily act, you should
reflect on it: 'This bodily act I want to perform — would it lead
to self-affliction, to the affliction of others, or to both? Is it
an unskillful bodily act, with painful consequences, painful
results?' If, on reflection, you know that it would lead to
self-affliction, to the affliction of others, or to both; it would
be an unskillful bodily act with painful consequences, painful
results, then any bodily act of that sort is absolutely unfit for
you to do. But if on reflection you know that it would not cause
affliction... it would be a skillful bodily act with happy
consequences, happy results, then any bodily act of that sort is fit
for you to do.
(Similarly with verbal acts & mental acts.)
"While you are performing a bodily act, you should reflect
on it: 'This bodily act I am doing — is it leading to
self-affliction, to the affliction of others, or to both? Is it an
unskillful bodily act, with painful consequences, painful results?'
If, on reflection, you know that it is leading to self-affliction,
to affliction of others, or both... you should give it up. But if on
reflection you know that it is not... you may continue with it.
(Similarly with verbal acts & mental acts.)
"Having performed a bodily act, you should reflect on it...
If, on reflection, you know that it led to self-affliction, to the
affliction of others, or to both; it was an unskillful bodily act
with painful consequences, painful results, then you should confess
it, reveal it, lay it open to the Teacher or to a knowledgeable
companion in the holy life. Having confessed it... you should
exercise restraint in the future. But if on reflection you know that
it did not lead to affliction... it was a skillful bodily act with
happy consequences, happy results, then you should stay mentally
refreshed & joyful, training day & night in skillful mental
qualities.
(Similarly with verbal acts.)
"Having performed a mental act, you should reflect on it...
If, on reflection, you know that it led to self-affliction, to the
affliction of others, or to both; it was an unskillful mental act
with painful consequences, painful results, then you should feel
horrified, humiliated, & disgusted with it. Feeling horrified...
you should exercise restraint in the future. But if on reflection
you know that it did not lead to affliction... it was a skillful
mental act with happy consequences, happy results, then you should
stay mentally refreshed & joyful, training day & night in
skillful mental qualities.
"Rahula, all the priests & contemplatives in the course
of the past who purified their bodily acts, verbal acts, &
mental acts, did it through repeated reflection on their bodily
acts, verbal acts, & mental acts in just this way.
"All the priests & contemplatives in the course of the
future... All the priests & contemplatives at present who purify
their bodily acts, verbal acts, & mental acts, do it through
repeated reflection on their bodily acts, verbal acts, & mental
acts in just this way.
"And so, Rahula, you should train yourself: 'I will purify
my bodily acts through repeated reflection. I will purify my verbal
acts through repeated reflection. I will purify my mental acts
through repeated reflection.' That's how you should train
yourself."
That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, Ven. Rahula
delighted in the Blessed One's words. — MN 61
§ 2. Once the
Blessed One was staying at Kosambi in the Simsapa tree grove. Then,
picking up a few Simsapa leaves with his hand, he asked the monks,
"What do you think, monks: Which are more numerous, the few
Simsapa leaves in my hand or those overhead in the Simsapa
grove?"
"The leaves in the hand of the Blessed One are few in
number, lord. Those overhead in the grove are far more
numerous."
"In the same way, monks, those things that I have known with
direct knowledge but have not taught are far more numerous than the
things I have taught. And why haven't I taught them? Because they
are not connected with the goal, do not relate to the rudiments of
the holy life, and do not lead to disenchantment, to dispassion, to
cessation, to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to
Unbinding. That is why I have not taught them.
"And what have I taught? 'This is stress... This is the
origination of stress... This is the cessation of stress... This is
the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress.' This is
what I have taught. And why have I taught these things? Because they
are connected with the goal, relate to the rudiments of the holy
life, and lead to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to
calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to Unbinding. This is
why I have taught them.
"Therefore your duty is the contemplation, 'This is
stress... This is the origination of stress... This is the cessation
of stress... This is the path of practice leading to the cessation
of stress.'" — SN LVI.31
§ 3. "'Stress
should be known. The cause by which stress comes into play should be
known. The diversity in stress should be known. The result of stress
should be known. The cessation of stress should be known. The path
of practice for the cessation of stress should be known.' Thus it
has been said. Why was it said?
"Birth is stressful, aging is stressful, death is stressful;
sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair are stressful;
association with what is not loved is stressful, separation from
what is loved is stressful, not getting what is wanted is stressful.
In short, the five clinging-aggregates are stressful.
"And what is the cause by which stress comes into play?
Craving is the cause by which stress comes into play.
"And what is the diversity in stress? There is major stress
& minor, slowly fading & quickly fading. This is called the
diversity in stress.
"And what is the result of stress? There are some cases in
which a person overcome with pain, his mind exhausted, grieves,
mourns, laments, beats his breast, & becomes bewildered. Or one
overcome with pain, his mind exhausted, comes to search outside,
'Who knows a way or two to stop this pain?' I tell you, monks, that
stress results either in bewilderment or in search.
"And what is the cessation of stress? The cessation of
craving is the cessation of stress, and just this noble eightfold
path is the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress:
right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right
livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
"Now when a disciple of the noble ones discerns stress in
this way, the cause by which stress comes into play in this way, the
diversity of stress in this way, the result of stress in this way,
the cessation of stress in this way, & the path of practice
leading to the cessation of stress in this way, then he discerns
this penetrative holy life as the cessation of stress.
"'Stress should be experienced. The cause by which stress
comes into play... The variations in stress... The result of
stress... The cessation of stress... The path of practice for the
cessation of stress should be experienced.' Thus it has been said,
and this is why it was said."
— AN VI.63
§ 4. "Vision
arose, clear knowing arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose,
illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard
before: 'This is the noble truth of stress... This noble truth of
stress is to be comprehended... This noble truth of stress has been
comprehended... This is the noble truth of the origination of
stress... This noble truth of the origination of stress is to be
abandoned... This noble truth of the origination of stress has been
abandoned... This is the noble truth of the cessation of stress...
This noble truth of the cessation of stress is to be realized...
This noble truth of the cessation of stress has been realized...
This is the noble truth of the path of practice leading to the
cessation of stress... This noble truth of the path of practice
leading to the cessation of stress is to be developed... This noble
truth of the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress has
been developed.'
"And, monks, as long as this knowledge & vision of mine
— with its three rounds & twelve permutations concerning these
four noble truths as they actually are — was not pure, I did not
claim to have directly awakened to the unexcelled right
self-awakening... But as soon as this knowledge & vision of mine
— with its three rounds & twelve permutations concerning these
four noble truths as they actually are — was truly pure,
only then did I claim to have directly awakened to the unexcelled
right self-awakening... The knowledge & vision arose in me:
'Unprovoked is my release. This is the last birth. There is now no
further becoming.'" — SN LVI.11
Additional Information
You can use these links for additional information
on the Four Noble Truths.
1. The First Noble Truth.
| 2. The Second Noble Truth
| 3. The Third Noble Truth
| 4. The Fourth Noble Truth
| 5. The FourNoble Truths - a study guide
| 6. The Nobility of the Truths
Abbreviations
| Source: Copyright
© 1999 Metta Forest Monastery. Reproduced and reformatted part
of the work from Access to Insight edition © 1999 For free
distribution. This work may be republished, reformatted,
reprinted, and redistributed in any medium. It is the author's
wish, however, that any such republication and redistribution be
made available to the public on a free and unrestricted basis
and that translations and other derivative works be clearly
marked as such. |
|
