Buddhism: the four noble truths
The following excerpts on Buddhism: The Four Noble Truths are taken from Geshe Kelsang Gyatso's recent book, How to Solve our Human Problems.
In Sutra of The Four Noble Truths, Buddha says:
You should know sufferings.
You should abandon origins.
You should attain cessations.
You should practice the path.
These instructions are known as the ‘four noble truths’. They are called ‘noble truths’ because they are superior and non-deceptive instructions."
You should know sufferings
In general, everyone who has physical or mental pain, even animals, understands
their own suffering. But when Buddha says ‘you should know sufferings’,
he means that we should know the sufferings of our future lives. Through
knowing these, we shall develop a strong wish to liberate ourself from
them. This practical advice is important for everybody because, if we
have the wish to liberate ourself from the sufferings of future lives,
we shall definitely use our present human life for the freedom and happiness
of our countless future lives. There is no greater meaning than this.
If we do not have this wish, we shall waste our precious human life only
for the freedom and happiness of this one short life.
You should abandon origins
This is also very practical advice. ‘Origins’ refers mainly
to our delusions of attachment, anger and self-grasping ignorance. Normally
we have a sincere wish to avoid suffering permanently, but we never think
to abandon our delusions. However, without controlling and abandoning
our delusions, it is impossible to attain permanent liberation from suffering
and problems. Therefore, we should follow Buddha’s advice and, through
our concentration on the profound meaning of Dharma and the force of our
determination, emphasize controlling our attachment, anger, and other
delusions.
You should attain cessations
This means that we should attain the permanent cessation of suffering.
Generally, from time to time, everybody experiences a temporary cessation
of particular sufferings. For instance those who are physically healthy
are experiencing a temporary cessation of sickness. However, this is not
enough because it is only temporary. Later they will have to experience
the suffering of sickness again and again, in this life and in countless
future lives. Every living being without exception has to experience the
cycle of the sufferings of sickness, ageing, death and rebirth, in life
after life, endlessly. Following Buddha’s example, we should develop
strong renunciation for this endless cycle, and make the strong determination
to attain enlightenment, the permanent cessation of suffering, and to
lead every living being to that state.
You should practice the path
In this context, ‘path' does not mean an external path that leads
from one place to another, but an inner path, a spiritual path that leads
to the pure happiness of liberation and enlightenment. A detailed explanation
of the stages of the path to liberation and enlightenment can be found
in Transform
Your Life and The
New Meditation Handbook.
© Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
and the New Kadampa Tradition
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Further
information on Buddhism: The Four Noble Truths can be found in Geshe Kelsang
Gyatso's recent book, How
to Solve our Human Problems
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