Student Elizabeth Fernandez. Student No. 466381 Lesson 2 Lesson 2: The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism?

In about 250 words, what are the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism? Discuss each.

The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism

1. The First Noble Truth Suffering exists. The first of the noble truths is that life is "dukkha and "anatman,"

2. The Second Noble Truth Suffering is a result of "trishna "dvesha," "avidya

3. The Third Noble Truth Suffering can cease.

4. The Fourth Noble Truth The path to Nirvana

The First Noble Truth

1. "dukkha," which has been variously translated as imperfect, suffering, or full of anguish.caused by clinging to that which cannot be retained.

The five categories affected by clinging are all suffering. Suffering is the common bond we all share. 1. Birth is suffering. 2. aging is suffering,

3. sickness is suffering, 4. separation from a beloved is suffering 5. Not manifesting what one wants is suffering: Things are impermanent, attachment to anything is futile, and leads to suffering. From the anguish comes from the fact that all things, including living creatures such as ourselves, are "anitya," impermanent. Great success is dukkha because it does not last the states of bliss attained through spiritual practice are dukkha because they are impermanent. Included in the concept is the idea of "anatman," which means that all things are interconnected and interdependent. Nothing has a separate existence, including people. The six categories of attachments, that cause peace and problems. 1. There is no "self" in the sense of a permanent, 2. Integral, autonomous being with an individual existence.

3. The physical body loses skin cells and hair cells, takes in new cells as it eats, drinks, and breathes, and learns to incorporate new ideas. 4. The self is in a constant state of flux. 5. We are not the same for two consecutive moments. 6. Once we see through the delusion of our isolated, individual self, we move to a higher state of consciousness and experience that which is not subject to birth and death. The Second Noble Truth The five categories of sufferings or Trisha," 1. 2. Desire, Thirst,

3. Craving, 4. Greed or lust. 5. Struggling to hold onto impermanent things causes anguish.

6. There is also "dvesha," or hatred, which is another kind of clinging: holding onto a grudge or resentment. A third idea included in this concept is "avidya," which means deliberate ignorance or refusal to see. Denying the impermanence of things causes us to cling to them. There are three kinds of desire: 1. the desire for sensual pleasure; 2. the desire to become 3. Desire to get rid of. Desiring things that cannot be kept can only bring suffering.

Ignorance of the way the world works is the root of such desire. Without the capacity for mental concentration and insight, one's mind is undeveloped and unable to grasp the true nature of the world around it. Vices such as greed, envy, and hatred all come from this ignorance. Contemplation is essential because if we contemplate desires, we are no longer attaching to them. We are just allowing them to be. Then we are able to reach the realization that desire can be laid aside and released. Letting go does not involve discarding. It is more like setting aside desires and letting them be. The problem is not the pleasure or the fame or the immortality we desire. The problem is the desire itself.

The Third Noble Truth

Suffering can cease. "Nirvana" literally means "blowing out," The five categories of sufferings or "Nirvana" 1. 2. Releasing clinging, hatred, and ignorance. The concept also includes accepting imperfection, impermanence, and interconnectedness, or making peace with reality.

3. The whole aim of Buddhist teaching is to let go of delusions. Nirvana, the absence of fear and desire, is a mental state, not a change in exterior circumstances.

The Fourth Noble Truth

The path to Nirvana, the absence of suffering, is called "dharma," the middle way. Dharma teaches one how to avoid the extremes of hedonism or asceticism, materialism or idealism, by following the Eightfold Path. 1. The path to the end of suffering can extend over many lifetimes, with each rebirth subject to karmic conditioning. 2. The gradual self-improvement of the middle way leads to the end of the cycle of rebirth.

3. Those who are not on the path are merely wandering on the wheel of becoming, without an object in view.

Bibliography Buddhism.onlineclasses.com. 2014. Online Class: Buddhism 101. [online] Available at: http://buddhism.onlineclasses.com/secure/424/7550530/download/less49938.htm [Accessed: 17 Feb 2014].