What are the four truths of Buddhism?

About 2,500 years ago, one of the greatest spiritual experiences known to mankind was initiated. Indian prince Siddhartha Gautama Shakyamuni reached a special state, Enlightenment, and formed one of the oldest world religions - Buddhism.

A little bit about the Buddha

Legends of the early years of the life of Prince Siddhartha are well known. He grew up in luxury, without knowing the hardships and anxieties, until one day chance caused him to face simple human sufferings: illness, old age and death. At that moment Siddhartha realized how illusory and inconstant is what people call "happiness." He went on a long solitary journey to find a way to save people from suffering.

Information about the life of this person relies mainly on numerous legends, and there is very little information. But for modern followers of Buddhism, the spiritual legacy of Gautama is much more important. In the teachings he created, the laws of earthly existence were explained, and the possibility of achieving Enlightenment was affirmed. Its main provisions can be found in the "Dharmachakra Launching Sutra" - a source that reveals in detail what are the main 4 truths of Buddhism formed by Gautama.

One of the ancient Indian sutras says that in the history of mankind there will be about 1000 Buddhas on the Earth (that is, those who have attained enlightenment). But Shakyamuni was not the first and had three predecessors. It is believed that the new Buddha will appear at a time when the teachings formed by the previous one will begin to decline. But all of them must perform twelve special feats, as Gautama did in his time.

The emergence of the doctrine of the four noble truths

4 the noble truths of Buddhism are described in detail in the "Sutra of the launch of the Wheel of Dharma", which has been translated into many languages and is now well known. According to the surviving descriptions of Shakyamuni, he gave the first sermons 7 weeks after Enlightenment to his ascetic followers. According to legend, they saw Gautama sitting under a tree surrounded by a bright glow. It was then that for the first time the positions of the doctrine, which traditionally recognized as the primary and the early, and modern Buddhism - the four noble truths and the Eightfold Path - were first voiced.

Truth of Buddhism in Brief

The noble truths of Buddhism can be summarized briefly in several theses. The life of a person (more precisely, the chain of successive incarnations, Samsara) is suffering. The reason for this is all sorts of desires. Suffering can be stopped forever, and instead of it a special state is attained - nirvana. To implement this there is a concrete way, which is called the Eightfold Path. Thus, the four truths of Buddhism can be briefly presented as a doctrine of suffering, its origins and ways to overcome it.

The first noble truth

The first statement is the truth about dukha. From Sanskrit this term is usually translated as "suffering", "anxiety", "dissatisfaction". But there is an opinion that such a designation is not entirely correct, and the word "dukha" actually refers to the whole aggregate of desires, attachments, which are always painful by sensations.

Disclosing the four noble truths of Buddhism, Shakyamuni claimed that all life passes in anxiety and dissatisfaction, and this is the ordinary state of man. Through the destiny of each of the people there are "4 great torrents of suffering": at birth, during illness, in old age, at the time of death.

In his sermons, the Buddha also singled out "3 great sufferings." The reason for the first of these lies in the changes. The second is suffering, aggravating others. The third is unifying. Speaking about the concept of "suffering", it should be emphasized that from the point of view of Buddhism, it refers to any emotions and emotions of a person, even those that, according to the generally accepted opinion, correspond to the notion of happiness as much as possible.

Second noble truth

4 The truths of Buddhism in the second position tell of the origin of the dukkha. The Buddha called the cause of the appearance of suffering "insatiable desire", in other words, desire. It is they that compel a person to remain in the cycle of samsara. And as you know, the way out of the chain of rebirth is the main goal of Buddhism.

As a rule, after fulfilling another desire, a person for a short time visits a sense of peace. But soon there is a new need, which becomes the cause of constant anxiety, and so on ad infinitum. Thus, suffering has only one source - ever-arising desires.

The desire to satisfy desires and needs is closely related to such an important concept in Indian philosophy as karma. It is a collection of thoughts and real actions of man. Karma is something like a result of aspirations, but it is also the cause of new, future actions. It is on this mechanism that the cycle of samsara is based.

The four truths of Buddhism also help explain the cause of bad karma. For this, five emotions were distinguished: attachment, anger, jealousy, pride and ignorance. Attachment and hatred caused by a lack of understanding of the true nature of phenomena (that is, a distorted perception of reality) is the main reason for the repetition of suffering during many rebirths.

The Third Noble Truth

Known as "the truth about the cessation of the dukkha" and brings to the understanding of Enlightenment. In Buddhism, it is believed that a state beyond suffering, completely freed from desires and attachments, can very well be achieved. This can be done through a deliberate intention, using techniques detailed in the last part of the teaching.

The facts of the peculiar interpretation of the third noble truth are known from the life of the Buddha. The monks who joined his wanderings often understood this position as a complete renunciation of all, even desperate desires. They practiced suppression of all their physical needs and engaged in self-torture. However, Shakyamuni himself at a certain stage of his life refused such an "extreme" embodiment of the third truth. In detail revealing the four truths of Buddhism, he argued that the main goal - to keep the "middle way", but not to suppress all desires.

The Fourth Noble Truth

The knowledge of what the four truths of Buddhism are, would be incomplete without an idea of the Middle Way. The last, fourth position is devoted to the practice leading to the cessation of the dukkha. It is this that reveals the essence of the doctrine of the Eightfold (or Median) path, which in Buddhism is understood as the only way to get rid of suffering. And sadness, anger and despair will inevitably be generated by all states of mind, except one - Enlightenment.

Following the Middle Way is understood as the ideal balance between the physical and spiritual components of human existence. Pleasure, excessive addiction and attachment to anything - the extreme, as well as the opposite asceticism.

In fact, the means offered by the Buddha are absolutely universal. The main one is meditation. Other methods are aimed at using all the abilities of the human body and mind without exception. They are accessible to all people, regardless of their physical and intellectual capabilities. Most of the practice and preaching of the Buddha was devoted specifically to the development of these methods.

Enlightenment

Enlightenment is the highest goal of spiritual development, which Buddhism recognizes. 4 noble truths and 8 steps of the Middle Way is a kind of theoretical and practical basis for achieving this state. It is believed that it has nothing to do with all the sensations accessible to the ordinary person. Buddhist texts speak of Enlightenment rather generalized, the language of metaphors and with the help of philosophical parables. But it is not possible to express it in any concrete way through the usual concepts.

In the Buddhist tradition, Enlightenment corresponds to the term "Bodhi," which literally means "awakening." It is believed that the potential to go beyond the ordinary perception of reality is embedded in every person. Once gaining Enlightenment, it is impossible to lose it.

Denial and criticism of teaching

The four basic truths of Buddhism are a teaching common to all of its schools. At the same time, a number of Mahayana currents (Sanskrit "The Great Chariot" - one of the two largest directions along with Hinayana) adheres to the "Heart Sutra". As you know, she denies the four noble truths of Buddhism. Briefly it can be expressed as follows: there is no suffering, therefore, there are no reasons, an end and a way for this.

The "heart sutra" is revered in Mahayana Buddhism as one of the main sources. It contains a description of the teachings of Avalokiteshvara, a botshisattva (that is, one who made the decision to become enlightened for the benefit of all living). "Heart Sutra" is generally devoted to the idea of getting rid of illusions.

According to Avalokiteshvara, the main tenets, which include 4 noble truths, only give an attempt to explain reality. And the concept of suffering and its overcoming is just one of them. "Heart sutra" calls for comprehension and acceptance of things as they really are. A true BT can not perceive reality in a distorted way, therefore, he does not consider the idea of suffering to be true.

According to some modern experts on Eastern philosophy, the four truths of Buddhism - this is a late "additive" in the ancient version of the life of Siddhartha Gautama. In their assumptions, they rely mainly on the results of the study of many ancient texts. There is a theory that not only the doctrine of noble truths, but also several other concepts traditionally associated with Shakyamuni, are not directly related to his life and were formed by his followers only centuries later.