The Fourth Noble Truth In Buddhism
Buddhism is a tradition that includes a variety of teachings and concepts of Buddha that leads to an ultimate goal. Buddhism discusses a reality that is impermanence and interconnectedness, the idea that there is no self. It gives five aggregator concepts of and Four Noble Truths. Through the Noble truth comes the eightfold path which explains how to eliminate suffering.
Two concepts of Buddhism are impermanence and interconnectedness. Impermanence translates to "not permanent." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 62) According to impermanence nothing last forever or is set, everything is continuously changing. For example, who one's self is isn't who the or she were when he or she were little. One is constantly changing and growing. A child …show more content…
at the age of four is not the same child at the age of fourteen. His or her personality, appearance, way of thought and overall person is different than to the four year old him or her. As for interconnectedness, everything is related in some way and is dependent. For example, the National Football League wouldn't be in business if no one watched football, bought tickets or even liked football. Since nothing is permanent everything is connected there is no self.
A theme of Buddhism are the five aggregator concepts. The first five aggregates of a person, is "form, the material aspect of a thing or person." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 64). The form is matter, the things that make up of ever-changing atoms. "In context to a person the form is the body, including the six sense organs, as well as their corresponding objects in the external world." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 64). The form is connected to impermanence because its made up for changing atoms that are not permanent. The second aggregate is sensations. "The physiological process resulting from contact of form with form, of the senses with their corresponding objects." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 65) Sensations are the feelings produced by the six senses. "As the eye comes in contact with visible forms, the ear with sounds, the tongue with tastes, the nose with odor, the body with tangible objects, and the mind with mental objects, such as thoughts." There are three kinds of subcategories of sensations: pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral. This also relates to impermanence and interconnectedness because one's senses are changing depending on the object. The third aggregate is perception. "When the six organs come in contact with their corresponding objects, sensations are produced that then lead to recognition of objects."(Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 65). For example, "when one touches a table with the hands and eyes, not only are sensations produced, but the result is a detection of the objects as table." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 65) One's perception of a table doesn't change just because of the appearance of the table, but one's perception of the table comes from the sensation through the six senses. "Perception also occurs in contact with mental objects and are the six types of mental discriminations resulting from the six types of sensations." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 65). The fourth concept is mental formations or personality. It includes ones predispositions, impulses, attitudes, and tendencies that make up one's character and personality. The mental formations play a key role in the creation of human's ongoing conditioned existence. The fifth aggregate is consciousness. "Consciousness is comprised of moments of awareness: not only does one sense and perceive a table to return to the example above, but one is now aware of the table." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 65). One only became aware of the table through sense. Human consciousness is "dependent upon conditions in which it arises, and therefore is neither independent nor permanent, but is as conditioned as the other four aggregates." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 66). Humans are constantly changing (the aggregates of form, sensations, perceptions, and consciousness comprise moments that arise and pass away), due to the connecting memories that predispositions, unconscious impressions, and karmic links of the aggregate of the mental formations. (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 67). The five aggregate concepts all relate back to impermanence and interconnectedness as there is no self. Buddhist offer a explanation of human problem.
The Four Noble Truths explain the basic problems of human existence. The first Noble Truth states that life is dukkha translated as suffering. "It includes the feelings such as insecurity, uncertainty, lack, and loss. Suffering refers to the state of basic existential anxiety about life, that things are imperfect, and always flawed." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 68). Dukkah is also connected to impermanence; good things don’t last. Humans are uneasy, anxious, vulnerable, frustrated, and disappointed in a world in which everything including one's own self is self changing. Buddha states that there are three kinds of suffering. There is ordinary suffering: aging, sickness, and death. It also includes experiences like unpleasant conditions, separation from family and loved ones, not getting what he or she wants, and sadness. The second type of suffering is change. "Even the experience of ordinary happiness eventually yields a form of suffering produced by change." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 68) Buddha is not saying that in life there is no happiness, but like any other emotion or feeling, happiness is not permanent. When happiness disappears unhappiness arises. The final type of suffering is dukkha "as conditioned states, primary among them being the troublous state created by a false sense of self." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 69) Dukkha effectively identifies the cause of human being's disease. This leads to the Second Noble Truth, craving. Human's problem is that one tries to hold on to things or experiences that by nature one cannot hold onto. For example, when two people are in a relationship for many years, and then that relationship ends, sometimes one of the two tend to hold onto that "hope" the other will come around. This is a selfish kind of craving. "Craving is a willful act that is motivated by the idea of separate and permanent self." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 69) However just as impermanence stated, nothing is permanent. This can lead to continual conditions of suffering. To get rid of craving would be to follow the third and fourth Noble truth.
According to Buddha it is possible to escape from the experience of dukkha through the Third and Fourth Noble Truth.
"The Third Noble Truth asserts that there is a cessation of dukkha, which, of course, involves the end of craving." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 69). It contradicts that First Noble Truth; and stresses the importance of seeing Buddhist teachings as useful only so long as they are applicable. Humans must learn to extinguish the craving which will lead to Nirvana. Nirvana is the highest goal of Buddhist practice and is indescribable. When one reaches Nirvana one has reached ultimate reality. Nirvana is "the freedom to see things as they really are, emancipated from limiting distortions of self projections." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 69) The final way to reach Nirvana and end craving and suffering would be through the final Noble truth: the Eightfold Path. "This path is also known as the Middle Way, since it is situated between the two extremes of a life dedicated to satisfying ordinary pleasures." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 70). The Eightfold Path is composed of eight practices that address three major concerns. The first concern is ethical conduct. Ethical conduct is based on universal love and compassion for all humans and consist of three subcategories: Right Speech, Right Action & Right Livelihood. Right speech sees that one should speak with manners and should abstain from lying or hurtful speech. If someone has nothing nice to say then he or she should say nothing at all. The second subcategory is Right of Action. "Right of action involves the cultivation of moral, honorable, and peaceful conduct in oneself and others." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 70). It avoids anything that may be unmoral: stealing, killing, cheating, etc. The third and final subcategory is Right of Livelihood it denotes selfish intention. For example manufacture and sales of weapons, the slaughter of animals, and the production of intoxicants and poisons.
The second major concern is mental discipline, which culminates in the meditative realization of the true nature of the self and the world. "Mental discipline is comprised of the following three practices: Right of Effort entails applying oneself energetically to the generation and cultivation of wholesome states of mind." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 70) Overcoming this and help one reach that Buddhist life. "The second practice is Right Mindfulness, a practice in which one aspires to be diligently aware of one's body, feelings, mind and thoughts." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 70) It involves one looking deeper into nature or reality by impermanence and lack of self. The third practice is Right Concentration which "differs from mindfulness meditative practices in that involves the cultivation of meditative states through the technique of calming the mind and concentrating it on a single point." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 71) The final major concern of the Eightfold path is wisdom. Wisdom has to do with establishing correct knowledge about reality and is fulfilled in Enlightenment. Wisdom includes Right Thought and Right Understanding. The first involves detachment and attachment to selflessness. It is the idea of the self. "Right of understanding means to understand things as they really are." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 71). The fourth Noble Truth is the Eightfold path, It is not motivated by the idea of self. The Noble Eightfold Path is the Buddhist guide to life. The heart of this ways is the cultivation of the wisdom, moral conduct, and mental discipline required to eliminate ignorance about self and craving. (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 71)
Buddhism explains that there is no self in human nature. According to impermanence and interconnectedness nothing last forever and everything around is constantly changing. This is shown through the five aggregators. The basic problem of human nature is suffering, as listed in the First Noble Truth. Suffering leads to craving which is the second Noble Truth. To eliminate both would be to eliminate craving through the Third Noble Truth and to follow the Eightfold Path through the Fourth Noble Truth. The Noble Eightfold Path is the Buddhist guide to life.
Two concepts of Buddhism are impermanence and interconnectedness. Impermanence translates to "not permanent." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 62) According to impermanence nothing last forever or is set, everything is continuously changing. For example, who one's self is isn't who the or she were when he or she were little. One is constantly changing and growing. A child …show more content…
at the age of four is not the same child at the age of fourteen. His or her personality, appearance, way of thought and overall person is different than to the four year old him or her. As for interconnectedness, everything is related in some way and is dependent. For example, the National Football League wouldn't be in business if no one watched football, bought tickets or even liked football. Since nothing is permanent everything is connected there is no self.
A theme of Buddhism are the five aggregator concepts. The first five aggregates of a person, is "form, the material aspect of a thing or person." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 64). The form is matter, the things that make up of ever-changing atoms. "In context to a person the form is the body, including the six sense organs, as well as their corresponding objects in the external world." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 64). The form is connected to impermanence because its made up for changing atoms that are not permanent. The second aggregate is sensations. "The physiological process resulting from contact of form with form, of the senses with their corresponding objects." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 65) Sensations are the feelings produced by the six senses. "As the eye comes in contact with visible forms, the ear with sounds, the tongue with tastes, the nose with odor, the body with tangible objects, and the mind with mental objects, such as thoughts." There are three kinds of subcategories of sensations: pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral. This also relates to impermanence and interconnectedness because one's senses are changing depending on the object. The third aggregate is perception. "When the six organs come in contact with their corresponding objects, sensations are produced that then lead to recognition of objects."(Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 65). For example, "when one touches a table with the hands and eyes, not only are sensations produced, but the result is a detection of the objects as table." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 65) One's perception of a table doesn't change just because of the appearance of the table, but one's perception of the table comes from the sensation through the six senses. "Perception also occurs in contact with mental objects and are the six types of mental discriminations resulting from the six types of sensations." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 65). The fourth concept is mental formations or personality. It includes ones predispositions, impulses, attitudes, and tendencies that make up one's character and personality. The mental formations play a key role in the creation of human's ongoing conditioned existence. The fifth aggregate is consciousness. "Consciousness is comprised of moments of awareness: not only does one sense and perceive a table to return to the example above, but one is now aware of the table." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 65). One only became aware of the table through sense. Human consciousness is "dependent upon conditions in which it arises, and therefore is neither independent nor permanent, but is as conditioned as the other four aggregates." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 66). Humans are constantly changing (the aggregates of form, sensations, perceptions, and consciousness comprise moments that arise and pass away), due to the connecting memories that predispositions, unconscious impressions, and karmic links of the aggregate of the mental formations. (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 67). The five aggregate concepts all relate back to impermanence and interconnectedness as there is no self. Buddhist offer a explanation of human problem.
The Four Noble Truths explain the basic problems of human existence. The first Noble Truth states that life is dukkha translated as suffering. "It includes the feelings such as insecurity, uncertainty, lack, and loss. Suffering refers to the state of basic existential anxiety about life, that things are imperfect, and always flawed." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 68). Dukkah is also connected to impermanence; good things don’t last. Humans are uneasy, anxious, vulnerable, frustrated, and disappointed in a world in which everything including one's own self is self changing. Buddha states that there are three kinds of suffering. There is ordinary suffering: aging, sickness, and death. It also includes experiences like unpleasant conditions, separation from family and loved ones, not getting what he or she wants, and sadness. The second type of suffering is change. "Even the experience of ordinary happiness eventually yields a form of suffering produced by change." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 68) Buddha is not saying that in life there is no happiness, but like any other emotion or feeling, happiness is not permanent. When happiness disappears unhappiness arises. The final type of suffering is dukkha "as conditioned states, primary among them being the troublous state created by a false sense of self." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 69) Dukkha effectively identifies the cause of human being's disease. This leads to the Second Noble Truth, craving. Human's problem is that one tries to hold on to things or experiences that by nature one cannot hold onto. For example, when two people are in a relationship for many years, and then that relationship ends, sometimes one of the two tend to hold onto that "hope" the other will come around. This is a selfish kind of craving. "Craving is a willful act that is motivated by the idea of separate and permanent self." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 69) However just as impermanence stated, nothing is permanent. This can lead to continual conditions of suffering. To get rid of craving would be to follow the third and fourth Noble truth.
According to Buddha it is possible to escape from the experience of dukkha through the Third and Fourth Noble Truth.
"The Third Noble Truth asserts that there is a cessation of dukkha, which, of course, involves the end of craving." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 69). It contradicts that First Noble Truth; and stresses the importance of seeing Buddhist teachings as useful only so long as they are applicable. Humans must learn to extinguish the craving which will lead to Nirvana. Nirvana is the highest goal of Buddhist practice and is indescribable. When one reaches Nirvana one has reached ultimate reality. Nirvana is "the freedom to see things as they really are, emancipated from limiting distortions of self projections." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 69) The final way to reach Nirvana and end craving and suffering would be through the final Noble truth: the Eightfold Path. "This path is also known as the Middle Way, since it is situated between the two extremes of a life dedicated to satisfying ordinary pleasures." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 70). The Eightfold Path is composed of eight practices that address three major concerns. The first concern is ethical conduct. Ethical conduct is based on universal love and compassion for all humans and consist of three subcategories: Right Speech, Right Action & Right Livelihood. Right speech sees that one should speak with manners and should abstain from lying or hurtful speech. If someone has nothing nice to say then he or she should say nothing at all. The second subcategory is Right of Action. "Right of action involves the cultivation of moral, honorable, and peaceful conduct in oneself and others." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 70). It avoids anything that may be unmoral: stealing, killing, cheating, etc. The third and final subcategory is Right of Livelihood it denotes selfish intention. For example manufacture and sales of weapons, the slaughter of animals, and the production of intoxicants and poisons.
The second major concern is mental discipline, which culminates in the meditative realization of the true nature of the self and the world. "Mental discipline is comprised of the following three practices: Right of Effort entails applying oneself energetically to the generation and cultivation of wholesome states of mind." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 70) Overcoming this and help one reach that Buddhist life. "The second practice is Right Mindfulness, a practice in which one aspires to be diligently aware of one's body, feelings, mind and thoughts." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 70) It involves one looking deeper into nature or reality by impermanence and lack of self. The third practice is Right Concentration which "differs from mindfulness meditative practices in that involves the cultivation of meditative states through the technique of calming the mind and concentrating it on a single point." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 71) The final major concern of the Eightfold path is wisdom. Wisdom has to do with establishing correct knowledge about reality and is fulfilled in Enlightenment. Wisdom includes Right Thought and Right Understanding. The first involves detachment and attachment to selflessness. It is the idea of the self. "Right of understanding means to understand things as they really are." (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 71). The fourth Noble Truth is the Eightfold path, It is not motivated by the idea of self. The Noble Eightfold Path is the Buddhist guide to life. The heart of this ways is the cultivation of the wisdom, moral conduct, and mental discipline required to eliminate ignorance about self and craving. (Stevenson, Haberman, and Wright 71)
Buddhism explains that there is no self in human nature. According to impermanence and interconnectedness nothing last forever and everything around is constantly changing. This is shown through the five aggregators. The basic problem of human nature is suffering, as listed in the First Noble Truth. Suffering leads to craving which is the second Noble Truth. To eliminate both would be to eliminate craving through the Third Noble Truth and to follow the Eightfold Path through the Fourth Noble Truth. The Noble Eightfold Path is the Buddhist guide to life.