One of the four noble truths of Buddhism says. The Four Noble Truths are the Foundation of Buddhism

It is very difficult to accurately translate the concept of "dukkha". Speaking of suffering, we emphasize only a pessimistic view of things, a tendency to notice only the bad, and do not take into account the good that happens to us in the process of acquiring experience. It is important to understand that the main key word is the word "experience". The Buddha points out that it is necessary to value the idea of ​​life as a whole, that is, to see life in all its fullness and complexity - the way a person lives it, and not to snatch only pluses and minuses from life experience. The Buddha's insight can only be fully understood if we realize that the first three noble truths taken together constitute a comprehensive analysis of the conditions of human existence. Whatever we strive for and no matter how much we achieve, in the end it is not enough for us to feel satisfaction with what we have achieved. Dukkha is a deep-rooted feeling of dissatisfaction with a world in which we cannot fulfill our longing desires. One way or another, it is not in our power to change the world around and thereby achieve self-fulfillment. Rather, we should look for a cure for dissatisfaction within ourselves. One of the main reasons for this is that the world - known to us through the experience of samsara, as the Buddhists call it - is characterized by impermanence. Everything that is impermanent (anigga) in this world is therefore subject to constant change. This is the second aspect of dukkha that the Buddha points out in his discourse. The variability of the world is its essence, which is the cause of dukkha

Second Noble Truth: Cause of Suffering (Samudaya)

The second noble truth reveals to us an even more important meaning of dukkha. We make a fairly clear distinction between ourselves and the world around us, which is filled with things, events, people. The truth, says the Buddha, is that nothing is at rest: time is in motion. We are part of a universe in continuous becoming; there is no rest in the universe, but only constant change underlying becoming. Here we are talking about the Buddhist concept of anatta (negating the self of a person), which is the third aspect of dukkha. The Buddha said that we are a combination of ever-changing forces or energies that can be divided into five groups (skandhas or aggregates: substances, sensations, awareness aggregate, mental formation aggregate, consciousness aggregate).

Third Noble Truth: Cessation of Suffering (nirodha)

The word "nirodha" means "to control". The exercise of control over craving or desire for attachment is the third lesson.

Nirodha is the quenching of craving or craving, which is achieved through the eradication of attachment. The result will be a state called "nirvana" ("nibbana") in which the fire of desire has ceased to burn and in which there is no more suffering. One of the difficulties that arise in front of us in trying to clarify the concept of nirvana for ourselves is that the word "nirvana" denotes a state. in which something happens, but does not describe what that state actually looks like. Buddhists argue that there is no need to think about the signs of nirvana, because such an approach will not give anything at all: our attitude to karmic conditioning is important here. In other words, the state of nirvana means liberation from everything that causes suffering.

The Fourth Noble Truth: The Path to End Suffering (magga)

This is known as the so-called middle path, which avoids the two extremes, such as indulging in sensual pleasures and torturing the flesh. It is also known as the Noble Eightfold Path because it indicates the eight states by which one can achieve purification of the mind, tranquility and intuition.

These eight steps represent the three aspects of Buddhist practice: moral conduct (sila); discipline of the mind (samadhi); wisdom (panya or prajna).

Eightfold Path

1) Righteous comprehension; 2) Righteous thinking; 3) Righteous speech; 4) Righteous action; 5) Righteous life; 6) Righteous work; 7) Righteous vigilance and self-discipline; 8) Righteous concentration.

A person who lives by these provisions gets rid of suffering and reaches nirvana. But to achieve it is not so easy, you need to overcome ten obstacles that lie in wait for a person throughout his life: 1- the illusion of personality; 2- doubt; 3- superstition; 4- bodily passions; 5- hatred; 6- attachment to the earth; 7- desire for pleasure and tranquility; 8- pride; 9- complacency; 10 - ignorance.

The Four Truths (Skt: catvari aryasatyani; Pail: cattari ariyasaccani), also commonly known as the "Four Noble Truths", explains the core orientation of Buddhism. These are truths understood by the "worthy," those who have attained enlightenment or nirvana. Four truths - dukkha (truth of suffering); the emergence of dukkha (the cause of suffering); stopping dukkha (end of suffering); and the path leading to the cessation of dukkha (the path to freedom from suffering).

DUKKA (SUFFERING)
Dukkha is defined in more detail as the human tendency to cling to or suffer from impermanent states or objects that keep us in samsara, the endless cycle of rebirth, suffering and death. The Buddha is believed to have taught the Four Truths in the very first teaching after he attained enlightenment, recorded long after his physical death in the Dhammakakkappattanata Suta ("The Discourse that Sets the Turning of the Wheel of Truth"), but this is still in dispute. They were recognized as perhaps the most important teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha only at the time the commentaries were written; 5th century AD On his deathbed, he also emphasized their importance:

Not seeing the four noble truths
It was a long weary journey from birth to birth.
When they are known, the cause of birth is removed,
Root of sadness plucked; then the revival ends.

(Mahaparinirvana Sutra)

Understanding or accepting transmigration (reincarnation-captivity in samsara) and karma (all freely chosen and assumed moral deeds inevitably entail consequences) is a requirement for gaining the Four Truths.

All rebirth is due to karma and is impermanent. Before reaching enlightenment, in each rebirth, a person is born and dies to be reborn in another place in accordance with the completely impersonal causal nature of one's own karma. (Williams, Buddhist Thought, 54)

Four truths are often best understood using a medical framework: Truth 1 is the diagnosis of a disease or condition; Truth 2 identifies the main reasons for this; Truth 3 - her prediction or result; The 4th truth is his cure.

Truth 1: The Truth of Suffering

All people experience surprises, disappointments, betrayals, etc., which lead to unhappiness and suffering. Recognition or acceptance that we will face difficulties in everyday life as an inevitable and universal part of life, since man is the first truth. There are two kinds of suffering in this: a) natural suffering - disasters, wars, infections, etc.; b) arrogant suffering - habitual reaction and unnecessary worry and regret.

Truth 2: Causes of Suffering

All suffering is connected not with external events and circumstances, but with how we react to them, with their perceptions and interpretations. Suffering arises from the desire for life to be other than it is, which comes from 3 poisons: Ignorance (Illusion) of the fact that everything, including myself, is impermanent and interdependent; Desire (Greed) for objects and people that will help us avoid suffering; Aversion (Anger) to what we don't want, thinking that we can avoid suffering. We can learn to look at each experience as it happens and be ready for the next.

Truth 3: The End of Suffering

We limit ideas about ourselves, others, and the world that we need to let go of. We can unlearn everything from our social conditioning and thus knock down all barriers or separations.

Truth 4: The path that frees us from suffering

The mind forces us to live dualistically, but if we are aware of and embrace our habits and illusions, we can give up our expectations of how things should be and instead accept what they are. We can use mindfulness and meditation to examine our perspectives and gain an accurate perspective.

This Truth contains the Eightfold Path leading from samsara to nirvana. It consists of

1. Right view (samyag-drusti) - acceptance of fundamental Buddhist teachings
2. Right decision (samyak-samkalpa) - adopting a positive outlook and a mind free from lust, ill will and cruelty
3. Right speech (samyag-vac) - using positive and productive speech as opposed to lying, flippant or harsh speech
4. Right action (samyak-karmanta) - observance of the five precepts (panka-sila) - refraining from killing, stealing, misbehaving, false speech and taking intoxicants
5. Right Bank (samyag-ajiva) - avoiding professions that harm others, such as prostitution slavery
6. Right Effort (samyag-vyayama) - directing the mind towards healthy goals
7. Right Mindfulness (samyak-smriti) - awareness of what a person constantly thinks, does and feels
8. Proper meditation (samyak samadhi) is concentration of attention to enter into meditative states (dhyanas).

These eight aspects of the path are often divided into 3 groups or aggregates: 3-5 are moral; 6-8 - meditation; and 1-2 - insight. This eightfold path is not linear, progressing from one stage to the next, but cumulative, so ideally all eight factors are practiced at the same time.

DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS
There are many different Buddhist schools that have developed over many centuries in different parts of the world.

Early Indian and Theravada Buddhism (First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma)

The Buddha transcended physical existence after his death, declaring that he was eternally enlightened and essentially non-physical. Accordingly, the words of the Buddha had only one meaning, and therefore the Four Truths must be understood simultaneously in one moment of understanding, and not in four separate stages. It is liberation or enlightenment itself.

Mahayana (second turn of the wheel of Dharma)

The Four Truths gradually became less prominent due to the importance of cultivating sunyata (insight/emptiness) and adopting the Bodhisattva path (altruism or service to others).

Vajrayana or Tibetan Buddhism(Third Turning of the Wheel of Dharma)

The Four Truths are learned from Mahayana commentaries such as the Abhisamayalamahara Sutra and the fourth Truth is presented as five aspects rather than eight. These teachings also present the 16 characteristics of the Four Truths taken from the sutra, providing more detail to aspirants in order to facilitate the realization of their goals such as awareness, attainment, peace, and deliverance.

Nichiren Buddhism from Japan bases its teachings on the Lotus Sutra, the penultimate teaching of the Buddha. It states that the Four Truths are a temporary teaching that the Buddha taught to fit the ability of the people of that time, while the Lotus Sutra is direct evidence of Shakyamuni's own enlightenment.

FOUR TRUTH TODAY
Cultivating an awareness of reality allows Buddhists to deal effectively with delusional interpretations and perceptions. Through meditation, this awareness develops so that they can escape from samsara and take all sentient beings with them. Thus, the habitual view of the human condition can be transformed, and a deep understanding of the meaning of life can be obtained.

The fearless have crossed the river of sorrow. Life unexplored, imperceptible, unenlightened, is nothing but a river of sorrow, and we all drown in it. (Osho, (Dhammapada, The Way of the Buddha, Volume 6.)

In everyone's life there are problems and unhappiness. Throughout history there have been different methods fight against suffering. AT modern world The internet provides instant access to the teachings of numerous schools of thought, and here we look at the Buddha's unique 2,500-year-old approach to why we suffer and how to find peace and happiness.

Introduction

It is best to start your acquaintance with Buddhism with the four noble truths, because the Buddha himself began to teach from this. In the time of the Buddha, there were many religious and philosophical systems, and today there are even more spiritual teachings. Therefore, when we encounter Buddhism, it is extremely important to try to understand what distinguishes the Buddhist approach. Buddhism, of course, has many teachings in common with other systems, such as the importance of being kind, good, loving person not harm anyone.

We will find similar things in almost every religion or philosophy, and to learn about this, we do not need to turn to Buddhism, although it has enough methods for developing kindness, love and compassion. Such practices will benefit us whether we accept everything else in the Buddha's teachings or not. But if we ask: "What is the peculiarity of Buddhism?" - then you need to turn to the four noble truths. And even in these teachings we will find much in common with other systems.

We are faced with the concept of "noble truth", and this is a rather strange translation. The word "noble" may be reminiscent of medieval aristocrats, but in fact it refers to those who have achieved high insight. The Four Noble Truths are four facts whose truth is seen by those who have a non-conceptual vision of reality. While these four facts are true, most people don't really understand or even know about them.

First noble truth

The first fact is usually called "suffering". The Buddha said that our lives are filled with suffering, and even what we consider happiness in our usual sense is fraught with many problems. The word translated as "suffering" is a Sanskrit duhkha. Sukha means happiness and duhkha- suffering. Kha means "space" spirit- a prefix meaning unsatisfactory, trouble. Don't use the judgmental word "bad," but the line of thought is clear. This means that something is wrong with "space" - by space we mean the space of our mind, our life. This is an unfortunate situation.

What is unpleasant about her? First, we experience ordinary suffering - pain, unhappiness, sadness. We can all understand this, and everyone wants to avoid it, even animals. In this sense, Buddhism has nothing new to say, arguing that pain and unhappiness are undesirable and it is better for us to get rid of them. The second type of suffering is called the suffering of change, and it refers to our daily, ordinary happiness. What is the problem here? It is changeable and does not last forever. If our ordinary happiness were genuine, the more we got it, the happier we would become. If we are happy when we eat chocolate, then we could eat it for hours without stopping, and the more we ate it, the more happy we would feel. But it is obvious that this is not the case. Or if our lover strokes our hand for hours, the pleasant sensation will soon turn into a painful one, or at least we will get the feeling that this is strange. This happens simply because ordinary happiness is changeable. And of course, it is never enough: we never feel satisfied. We always want more chocolate - if not right away, then after a while.

It is interesting to ask the following question: “How much of our favorite food should we eat in order to feel pleasure?” In principle, if we try just a little, it will be enough, but we always want more and more. The desire to overcome this problem of ordinary, worldly happiness is also present not only in Buddhism. Many religions teach to go beyond worldly pleasures to heaven, where there will be eternal bliss.”

The third type of suffering is called all-pervading suffering or all-pervading problem, and this is where Buddhism is different. The third type permeates everything that we perceive, and this term refers to the uncontrolled cycle of rebirth, which is the basis of everyday ups and downs. In other words, recurring births with such a mind and body are the basis of the first two types of suffering. This is related to the theme of rebirth, which we can explore later.

Of course, many other Indian philosophical systems also teach about rebirth, that is, the teaching of the Buddha is no exception in this. But the Buddha understood and described this mechanism much more deeply than other philosophical and religious teachings of that time. He explained in great detail how rebirth happens, how our mind and body experience ups and downs - from pain and unhappiness to ordinary happiness.

Second noble truth

The second truth considers the cause of all our suffering. Now there is no need to talk in detail about rebirth. Instead, consider the words of the Buddha simply by logic. Suffering and ordinary happiness have causes, and the Buddha was interested in "true causes". We may think that happiness and pain are rewards and punishments, but the Buddha called them the true cause of destructive and constructive behavior.

What is meant by destructive behavior? Is it just harm? You can talk about harming others or yourself. It is very difficult to tell whether our behavior will harm others or not. We can give someone a lot of money, but as a result they will be killed in order to rob. We want to help, this is our goal, but desire alone is not enough. However, it is safe to say that certain actions will harm us ourselves. This is what the Buddha meant by destructive behavior: it is destructive to us.

This refers to the actions of the body, speech and mind under the influence of disturbing emotions - emotions that disturb us. Because of them, we lose our peace of mind and self-control. This refers to anger, greed and attachment, jealousy and envy, arrogance, naivety, and so on, a long list. When our thinking is captivated by such emotions and we speak and act under their influence, it makes us unhappy. Maybe not immediately, but in the long run, because over time it becomes a habit. On the other hand, creative behavior is when we act without being influenced by disturbing emotions, or even guided by positive emotions such as love, compassion, and patience.

When we act creatively, it leads to happiness. Our mind is more relaxed and calm. It is easier for us not to lose our temper, that is, we do not behave unreasonably and do not say stupid things that can cause problems. In the long run, again, not necessarily instantaneously, constructive behavior brings happiness. However, behind it lies a naivete about how we and others exist, about reality in general.

Misfortune and ordinary happiness are not a reward and punishment from some judge, an external figure. Rather, it works like a law of physics. What is the basis of this causal process? Delusion, especially about one's "I". We think: "I am the most important person. Everything should always be the way I want. In line at the supermarket, I have to be ahead of the others. I have to be first." Hungry for a seat ahead, we get angry at the people in front of us. We are very impatient when someone makes us wait a long time: our mind is filled with all sorts of unpleasant thoughts about that person. Even if we act creatively, there are many misconceptions about the "I" behind it. Often we help others because we want them to like us, or because we want them to do something for us. Or we help in order to feel needed. At least we want thanks.

When we provide such help, it makes us happy, but at the same time we feel anxiety. We experience happiness - if not immediately, then in the long term, but it does not last forever. It is replaced by dissatisfaction. This is repeated over and over again throughout life, and from the Buddhist point of view, it will continue into future lives.

Looking deeper, we are deluded about everything. When we fall in love, we greatly exaggerate the good qualities of the other person. Or when we strongly dislike others, we exaggerate their bad traits, we do not see anything good in them. And the more we analyze, the more delusion we find at the basis of all our perception.

Looking even deeper, it's all based on the limitations that arise because we have this body and mind. When we close our eyes, it seems that the world does not exist, that there is only "I". There is a voice in my head, and it seems that it is “me”, as if there is another me inside me. It's really weird. However, we are identified with this "I", because someone constantly complains: "I should be ahead. I have to do it". "I" is the one who always worries. For some reason, it seems that this voice in my head is special and exists independently of all the others: after all, when I close my eyes, nothing remains - only “I”.

This is a big misconception, because we obviously do not exist independently of others and there is nothing special about anyone: we are all people. Imagine a hundred thousand penguins crowding the icy Antarctic. What makes one of them special? They are all the same. So are we. Perhaps for penguins, all people are the same. Thus, thinking: “I am so special, and I do not depend on anyone,” we want everything to be our way, and we are angry if this does not happen.

In general, our "equipment" - the mind and body - contributes to delusion. It may sound strange, but we look at the world through two holes in the front of our heads. We do not see what is behind us. We only see what is happening now. We cannot see what happened before or what will happen later. These are big restrictions. In addition, as we age, we no longer hear as well as we used to. We may think that the other person said something different from what they actually said, and become angry about it. If you think about it, it's pretty sad.

The pervasive problem is that we are constantly born with a body and mind that only perpetuate delusion. On the basis of delusion, we perform destructive or ordinary constructive actions, which lead to unhappiness or ordinary happiness.

it difficult topic, if you delve into it, and there is no need to do it now, but it is delusion that lies at the basis of the uncontrolled cycle of rebirths. This is the true cause of our true problems. Delusion, or unawareness, is often translated as "ignorance." I prefer not to use this word because it implies that we are stupid. But this is not the problem, and the connotation of this word is different. "Unawareness" simply means that we do not know how we exist and how phenomena exist. In this sense, we are not aware: for example, we think: “I am the most important, I am the center of the universe,” although this is the exact opposite of reality. The reality is that we are all here together. This does not mean that we are stupid, but because of the limited body and mind, we think in this way.

That is why we call them "noble truths." Those who see reality see it differently than everyone else. It seems to us that our delusions and projections correlate with reality, we believe in their truth. We never even think about it, we just have these instinctive feelings: “I am the most important. Everything should be my way. Everyone should love me." Or vice versa: "Everyone should hate me because I'm bad." They are one and the same, two sides of the same coin. That is the real reason.

The Third Noble Truth

The Third Noble Truth - true cessation. This means that delusion can be got rid of, stopped in such a way that it will never arise again. And if we get rid of delusion, true reason, then we will eliminate the true problems - ups and downs, as well as the uncontrollable cycle of rebirths underlying them. Then we will achieve the so-called "liberation". I am sure you are all familiar with the Sanskrit words "samsara" (uncontrolled cycle of rebirth) and "nirvana" - liberation.

Other Indian systems at the time of the Buddha also spoke of liberation from samsara. In India, this was a common theme in the teachings. But the Buddha saw that other systems did not get to the true cause of samsara. Although it is possible to get a respite from the unruly cycle of problems, for example, by being born in the heavenly world, where for aeons your mind will be completely empty, nevertheless, it will still end. That is, with the help of other systems it was impossible to achieve liberation.

The Buddha taught true cessation, and it is very important to understand and achieve the certainty that it is indeed possible to get rid of delusion forever. Otherwise, why try to fix it at all? If we are not interested in stopping delusion, we can simply shut up, accept this situation and try to use it to the best of our ability. This is the ultimate goal of many therapeutic systems: "Learn to live with it or take a pill."

The Fourth Noble Truth

The fourth noble truth is usually translated as "true path", and it helps to understand the third. It is a state of mind which, if we develop it, becomes the path to liberation. That is why I use the term "way of the mind" (pathway mind, a path-like state of mind), but it is very difficult to translate into other languages.

Our mind projects complete nonsense, and there are many levels of projection. Extreme cases are projections of paranoia ("everyone is against me") and schizophrenia. There are not so extreme cases: “This is the most wonderful piece of chocolate cake that I have ever seen. If I eat it, I will be truly happy.” A similar thing happened to me during the flight to Bucharest. I had a layover in Vienna and thought, "Viennese apple strudel must be the best in the world." I ordered a piece and it was not the best in the world. My projections of what it should be were wrong. The apple strudel existed - the projection of my mind was not about the apple strudel itself, but about the way it exists: as if it were the most wonderful thing that would actually make me happy.

In the same way, I exist and you exist. Buddhism does not say that we do not exist. He simply says that we are projecting onto everything a way of being that does not correspond to reality at all. It seems to us that phenomena exist independently, by themselves, but this is an impossible way of existence. Phenomena arise from causes and conditions, and they change all the time. But we do not see this: we see only what is before our eyes. For example, we have a meeting scheduled, but the other person did not come. We think that he is a terrible person who always lets us down and no longer feels sympathy for us. We think that his or her life exists regardless of traffic jams, extra work at the office, or whatever. In fact, this happened due to causes and conditions, so this person cannot be terrible in himself, regardless of everything else. But our mind projects it, gets hung up on it, and the disturbing emotion of anger appears. And the next time we meet this person, we see him completely differently, and then we scream and do not even give him the opportunity to explain himself. And at this time we are actually quite unhappy, aren't we?

So, we exist, but the way this existence appears to us - that we are special and independent of anyone - is nothing more than a projection, nonsense, it has nothing to do with any real object. This is what we call in Buddhism "voidness"- this is often translated as "emptiness". In Sanskrit, the same word is used for "zero", it means "nothing", complete absence anything real. For example, we may have a projection that our new partner is a perfect prince or princess on a white horse, like in a fairy tale. It's impossible. No one exists this way, but we are constantly looking for a prince or princess. And when others don't match our projection, we get frustrated and start looking again, even though we're looking for the impossible.

So the true way of the mind is to understand that this is rubbish, that the projection does not refer to anything real. If you look at the true cause of suffering, it is the belief that the projection is related to reality. The true path is a deep understanding that it does not refer to anything real. The projections of our fantasy and reality are mutually exclusive. To be deluded is to think that a projection is related to something real. The correct understanding is that there is no such thing. The projection has nothing to do with anything. talking in simple words, or there is such an object corresponding to our projection, or it does not exist. Either yes or no: they cannot be true at the same time.

Now let's analyze what is stronger - "yes" or "no". If we investigate with logic, obviously "no". The "yes" option does not stand up to the test of logic. Do everyone else cease to exist when I close my eyes? Of course no. Does everything always have to be my way because I'm the most important person in the world? No, this is ridiculous. The more we explore, the more we begin to question that little "I" in our head. If we examine the brain, where is the “I” in it, whose voice do we hear in the head and which makes decisions? What exactly is going on? In the process of analysis, we realize that there is nothing findable there that can be called "I". Of course, I function: I perform actions, I speak. We do not deny this. We deny that there is a solid "I" in our head and everything should be the way it wants. The option that there is no such thing is supported by logic. Upon examination, we can see that such a thing does not exist, which means that our delusion that a solid "I" refers to a real object is not supported by anything.

What is the consequence of thinking that we exist in such an impossible way? We doom ourselves to misfortune. What is the result of the opposite thinking - that there is no such existence? We are freed from all these problems. When we think, "This does not exist, this is nonsense," at the same time we cannot think that the projection corresponds to reality. Right understanding replaces wrong. And if we can keep right understanding all the time, then delusion will never arise again.

Again, the Buddha's teaching that a wrong understanding can be replaced with a right one and thereby achieve liberation from suffering and rebirth was not unique to Buddhism. The same is stated in other Indian systems. The peculiarity of Buddhism is what kind of understanding can completely eliminate the subtlest level of delusion about reality. In order to achieve perfect concentration in meditation, to acquire through this the correct understanding of deep level and to achieve a true cessation of delusion, the Buddha used methods common to all other Indian traditions. With their help, one can achieve the true cessation of the true cause, and therefore the true cessation of suffering.

In order for our mind to have the ability to maintain a correct understanding of reality and break through destructive emotions, we need motivation. That's why love, compassion and so on are needed. We are all interconnected and equal in that everyone wants to be happy. Therefore, we need to get rid of delusion so that we can fully help others.

This is the general explanation of the four noble truths. To understand this topic on a deeper level, one needs to learn more about the Buddhist understanding of mind and karma.

Video: 14th Dalai Lama - "Peace of Mind from a Buddhist Perspective"
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Summary

Although Buddhism shares many similarities with other major religious and philosophical systems, the Four Noble Truths, the first teaching of the Buddha, is a unique explanation of how we exist, what suffering we experience, and how we can get rid of these problems.

Who am I? Why do I live? What was I born for? How did this world come about? What is the sense of life?

When faced with such reflections, a person begins to look for answers in the existing concepts of self-improvement. All directions give certain interpretations and recommendations on how to get answers to such questions and resolve internal doubts and searches: someone advises to believe, someone to serve, someone to study or comprehend, accumulate experience.

In this article, we will consider one of the concepts of self-development, which was formulated 2500 years ago by Shakyamuni Buddha in Sarnath and was called "Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path". The Buddha suggested not to take what he heard on faith, but through reflection, analysis and practice to test these concepts for personal experience. One can even say: to rediscover them, to experience and feel them, so that formal knowledge from what is heard is transformed into true comprehension and finds application in the practical part of life.

Reflecting on human life, we notice that it consists of different events: both joyful and sad, both happy and sad. The phrase that life is suffering (or a series of hardships) means that there is some imperfection in our life, impermanence, changeability, that is there is something that hurts us. Someone will say that this is the norm, it is natural: black and white, mood swings, emotional reactions, constant unpredictability of tomorrow. However, from the point of view of spiritual development, a human being is intelligent, able to independently make decisions and know what awaits him in the future, both in this life and in the future.

Analyzing the reasons happening in life, we discover that first of all it is our desires which we can never fully realize. There is this wisdom: "Desires cannot be satisfied, they are endless". What we strive for either does not bring us the expected happiness, joy and satisfaction at all, or quickly “gets boring”, or remains unfulfilled. And - the saddest thing - whatever we achieve, we will lose sooner or later.

This concept becomes apparent to everyone the moment a person realizes that he is mortal. Often this happens when a person is seriously ill or experiencing some kind of severe stress, or simply getting old.

From the point of view of spiritual self-improvement, human life should not constantly balance between desire, satiety or disappointment, should not be as unstable as this material world. And a person must learn to stop identifying himself with the accumulation of endless "I want."

What desire is most inherent in people? Desire to enjoy. Whatever a person does, whatever he seeks, the goal of all his actions comes down to the same thing - to get pleasure, pleasure. The state of constant enjoyment is called happiness. Man devotes his life to the pursuit of this happiness. However, as we know, in our world (the world of samsara) there is nothing permanent. In order to somehow smooth out the bitterness of disappointment, the pain of loss, a person begins to set new goals for himself, the essence of which is still the same - the desire to receive pleasure, the desire to fill his life to the maximum with "pleasant" and an attempt to protect yourself from "unpleasant".

Four Noble Truths of Buddhism

We strive to repeat and strengthen pleasant sensations, despite the fact that this is not always achievable, and to get rid of unpleasant sensations, which is also sometimes very problematic. Thus, attachment to what we call "good" and rejection of what we call "bad" arise.

Attachment (craving) refers to one of the three poisons that chain a person to a continuous series of births and deaths: Wheel of Rebirth. These poisons are craving, ignorance and hatred. They poison our consciousness, so we are not able to see the truth. Man's problem lies in the fact that he is so absorbed in satisfying his everyday illusory desires, so mired in his worthless desires. daily affairs, which he mistakenly considers to be something incredibly important, which wastes his time in a precious incarnation in vain.

The only desire that does not bring suffering, does not cause a response that binds us to this world, goes beyond the material world - this is the desire for complete liberation.

Another cause of suffering is karmic reactions, that is, the result of our past actions. It is believed that for every action we take, sooner or later we get a response: either in this life, or after gaining a body in future life. The acquisition of a new body is called reincarnation.

The Buddhist theory of reincarnation is different from that of Hinduism. From the point of view of Hinduism, there is a series of "births" and "deaths", that is, a being / soul comes into this world, stays in it for some time, and then leaves. According to Buddhist teachings (Theravada or Hinayana directions), reincarnation can be explained by the following example: the kaleidoscope glasses are always the same - they do not come from anywhere, and do not disappear anywhere, however, with each turn of the kaleidoscope, a new image appears. These pieces of glass are the sets of elements from which the individual is formed. They crumble and fold again at every turn of the kaleidoscope of the samsaric world.

Summarizing the above, we can say that the result of our unseemly deeds and passionate desires will be degradation, resulting in incarnation into a being with more low level development.

Is it possible to gain control over desires and attachments? Yes, it is possible to extinguish the fire of desires by eradicating attachments and reaching the state of liberation (nirvana, samadhi, non-duality). It is impossible to describe the state of nirvana because, firstly, it is something completely opposite to dukkha (suffering), but this is not a generally accepted paradise for a particular soul. And, secondly, nirvana entails the cessation of everything known in the world of samsara. That is, it is not even the opposite of samsara (as the opposition of good and evil), but something completely different.

In this regard, some people may consider nirvana something negative, because it denies everything that is so dear to the heart of the majority of the inhabitants of this world. But the Teaching of the Buddha asserts that a person who has reached nirvana already during his lifetime gets rid of illusions and delusions and from the suffering associated with this. He learns the truth and is freed from everything that oppressed him before: from anxiety and anxiety, from complexes and obsessions, from selfish desires, hatred, complacency and pride, from a crushing sense of duty. He is freed from the desire to receive something, he does not accumulate anything - neither physical nor spiritual - because he understands that everything that samsara can offer us is deception and illusion; does not strive for the so-called self-realization associated with the absence of one's own "I". He does not regret the past, does not hope for the future, living one day. He does not think about himself, he is full of universal love, compassion, kindness and tolerance.

He who has not eradicated egoistic aspirations in himself is not able to achieve the aforementioned state. Accordingly, the one who has achieved it is an independent and free being. But that's not all - he is able to see the needs of other people, is able to share someone else's pain, help others live, and not worry solely about his own well-being.

Thus, we have analyzed three of the four truths.

Namely:

• First Truth - dukkha: "Life is suffering."
• Second Truth - Samudaya: "Source of suffering."
• Third Truth– nirodha: “The cessation of suffering.”

The fourth noble truth shows the way to end the suffering and hardships of this life and is presented as the Eightfold Path (arya ashtanga marga).

• Fourth Truth– marga: “The path leading to the cessation of suffering.”

The Eightfold Path of the Buddha

This path consists of eight parts and the word is used before the name of each part. "samyak". Usually it is translated as "correct", but in this vein it is not entirely correct and incomplete. A closer translation would be such words as: proper, complete, exhaustive, holistic, complete, perfect.

Samyak drishti, perfect vision.

This part means the stage of the first spiritual insight and experience. For different people, this first spiritual experience can occur in different ways. For some, the path of vision begins as a consequence of personal tragedy, loss, or misfortune. All life is destroyed, and on these ruins a person begins to ask questions about the meaning and purpose of being, begins to look deeper into life and reflect on it. For some, this stage may come as a consequence of a spontaneous mystical experience. For other people, this may happen in a completely different way - as a result of persistent and regular practice of meditation. When a person systematically calms his mind, the consciousness becomes clear, there are fewer thoughts, or they do not arise at all. Finally, it can arise - at least for some - from the fullness of life experience, especially as a person grows older and gains maturity and wisdom.

What is perfect vision? We can say that this is a vision of the nature of being. This is, first of all, a vision of our true state at the present time: the state of attachment to the conditioned being, symbolized by the wheel of samsara. It is also a vision of our potential state: the future state of enlightenment, symbolized by the Buddha, the five Buddha mandala, and the pure land (a world where self-improvement comes first). And finally, it is the vision of the path leading from the first state to the second.

Samyak sankalpa - perfect intention, feeling.

Most practitioners, after gaining the first insight and developing it for some time, find themselves in a difficult situation: they understand the truth with reason, they can talk about it, lecture, write books, and yet they are not able to put it into practice. There may be a feeling: “I know this for sure, I see it clearly, but I cannot put it into practice.” Having risen a few centimeters, he immediately breaks down, and it seems that the breakdown threw him several kilometers.

We can say that we know something, but we know it only with reason, this knowledge is theoretical. As long as the heart remains aloof, as long as we do not feel what we understand, that is, as long as our feelings do not participate in the process, there is no spiritual life, no matter how actively our brain works, no matter how great our intellectual potential is.

Perfect feeling reflects the introduction of perfect vision into our emotional nature and its subsequent fundamental change. It means consciously overcoming negative emotions such as lust, anger and cruelty and cultivating positive qualities such as giving, love, compassion, rejoicing, calmness, trust and devotion. Note that most of these feelings are social: they affect other people and arise in the course of interpersonal relationships. That is why it is so important that in the society in which we find ourselves, we constantly cultivate the right spirit.

Samyak vacha is perfect speech.

In this case, we are talking about several successive levels of communication: truthfulness, friendliness, usefulness and the ability to lead to agreement. First of all, perfect speech and perfect communication are distinguished by truthfulness. As a rule, we like to slightly deviate from the truth: add extra details, exaggerate, downplay, embellish. Do we really know what we think and feel? Most of us live in a state of mental confusion and chaos. On occasion, we can repeat what we have heard or read, we can reproduce it if necessary. However, we do not understand what we are saying. If we want to speak the truth in a fuller sense, we must clarify our thoughts. We need to keep a close awareness and know what we have inside, what our motives and motivations are. To tell the truth is to be ourselves: that is, to express through speech what we really are, what we truly know about ourselves.

It is also important when talking with a person to raise him to a new level of being and consciousness, and not to lower him down, this is the usefulness of speech. You need to try to see the good, bright, positive side of things, and not focus on the negative.

Perfect speech promotes concord, harmony and unity. It is mutual help based on mutual truthfulness, awareness of each other's lives and needs, and leading to mutual self-determination. When perfect speech reaches harmony, unity and overcoming, it simultaneously reaches its peak - silence.

Samyak pocket - perfect action.

According to the Buddha's teaching, as it is preserved in the tradition of any school, the rightness or wrongness of an action, its perfection or imperfection, is determined by the state of mind in which it was performed. In other words, the moral criterion is important. To lead a moral life means to act from the very best that you have: from the deepest knowledge or insight, from the most selfless love and the most sensitive compassion. That is, it is not just an external action, it is also consistent with the perfect vision and feeling (intention).
A perfect action is also a holistic action, that is, an action in which a person participates completely. Most of the time only a part of us takes part in the action. Sometimes we are completely immersed in something. Every drop of our energy, effort, zeal, interest is invested in this moment. In these moments, we learn that we are able to give ourselves to the action completely and completely. At such moments, we experience satisfaction and peace.

Samyak adsiva is the perfect way of life.

This section deals mostly with how you earn your livelihood. There are many words of the Buddha in the texts about the perfect way to make a living. First of all, these explanations relate to refraining from certain professions (for example, trading in living beings, as well as those related to meat and various drugs, making weapons, divination and fortune telling). It is recommended to earn enough money for a very modest life, and devote the rest of the time to self-development, spiritual practice and dissemination of knowledge.

Samyak vyayama is perfect effort.

The spiritual life is an active life, but not an idle pastime. It is a difficult and harsh path. The perfect effort lies in the incessant work on oneself. A person gets down to business with enthusiasm, but very often this business soon becomes boring. Enthusiasm evaporates as if it never existed at all. This happens because the internal forces of inertia that hold us back and pull us down are extremely large. This applies even to such a simple decision as getting up early in the morning to practice. In the beginning, we can make such a decision, and we will succeed several times. But after a while, a temptation appears and a spiritual conflict arises: to get up or stay in a warm bed. In most cases, we lose, because the inertial forces are very large. Therefore, it is very important to understand oneself, to find out what the mind is and what it contains, how it works. This requires a lot of honesty, at least towards yourself. So that unskilful thoughts that have not yet arisen penetrate into the mind and do not take possession of it, it is necessary to be vigilant in relation to the senses and the mind, that is, “guard the gates of the senses.” Thoughts usually take us by surprise - we do not even notice how they come. We do not have time to come to our senses, and they are already in the very center of the mind.

It is recommended to prevent and eliminate negative states mind and develop good ones, then keep those higher states that we have developed. It is very easy to fall back: if you stop practicing for a few days, you can find yourself in the same place from which we started a few months ago. If you make efforts, then eventually a stage is reached, starting from which it is no longer possible to move back.

Samyak smriti - perfect awareness.

Our mind is very easily knocked down and led astray. We are easily distracted because our concentration is very weak. The weakness of our concentration is due to the fact that we do not have any main goal that would remain unchanged in the turmoil of all the various affairs. We are constantly switching from one subject to another, from one desire to another. Mindfulness (concentration) is a state of mindfulness, non-distraction, constancy. We must learn to look, see and be aware, and through this become extremely receptive (this is the awareness of things). Increasingly aware of our emotional life, we notice that the unskillful emotional states associated with fear, lust, hatred begin to recede, while the skilful emotional states associated with love, peace, compassion, joy become more pure. If a quick-tempered, angry person begins to develop awareness of the senses, after some time of practice, he becomes aware of his anger before he becomes angry.

If we hear an unexpected question, “What are you thinking about now?”, We are often forced to answer that we ourselves do not know. This is because we often don't really think and just let the thoughts flow through our minds. As a result of awareness, the mind becomes silent. When all thoughts disappear, leaving only a pure and clear consciousness, true meditation begins.

Samyak samadhi.

The word samadhi means a state of firm stability and immobility. This is a stable stay not only of the mind, but of our entire being. This word can also be interpreted as the concentration and one-pointedness of the mind. However, this is much more than good concentration. It is the culmination of the whole process of change from an unenlightened state to an enlightened one. This is the complete filling of all aspects of our being with perfect vision. At this stage, a higher level of being and consciousness is reached.

Having carefully considered all the elements of the Eightfold Path, we can understand that a person who has embarked on the path of self-improvement acts differently than a person who has surrendered to the cycle of samsara. His daily life, sensations, perception are transformed, his attitude towards his life tasks and the living beings around him changes.

It is also important to remember that the path is a cumulative process: we are constantly following all the stages of the eightfold path. We develop a perfect vision, something opens up within us and this affects our feelings, transforming them and developing perfect facets. Perfect vision manifests itself in our speech, affecting it so that it becomes perfect. Our actions are also affected. We are changing in every way, and this process continues.

Followers of different spiritual schools and directions carry out the practice of teaching in their own way, but they all agree on the formulated four noble truths and parts of the Eightfold Path. Life will end the same for everyone - the sacrament of death. The Buddha said that one who, before death, managed to overcome the three poisons - passion, anger and ignorance - should not be afraid of either this moment or what lies ahead. Such a person will no longer suffer. His mind will move to a higher level of existence.

Through the study and practice of these profound instructions, it is important to gain the experience of clear and non-dual perception, learn how to maintain this state and use your energy, time and life for reasonable purposes. Reasonableness is determined by everyone independently, but the examples of teachers of the past show us altruism, self-sacrifice and compassion for others: less enlightened and realized.

After all, the greatest happiness is when the surrounding living beings gain peace, harmony, a certain realization and comprehension, cease to limit themselves to their body, the surrounding materiality, thirst, dependence and pain. They become free and happy, which makes it possible for them to pass on this knowledge and experience further. Thus, improving, harmonizing and healing society and the whole world around.

Used Books:
Kornienko A.V. "Buddhism"
Sangharakshita "The Noble Eightfold Path of the Buddha"

1. The Noble Truth of Suffering
2. The Noble Truth of the Origin of the Causes of Suffering
3. The Noble Truth of the Possibility of Ending Suffering and Its Causes
4. The Noble Truth of the Path That Leads to the End of Suffering

14th Dalai Lama (lecture) - University of Washington

In fact, all religions have the same motives for love and compassion. Although there are often very large differences in the field of philosophy, the underlying goal of improvement is more or less the same. Each religion has its own special methods. While our cultures naturally differ, our systems converge as the world grows ever closer due to improved communication, providing us with good opportunities to learn from each other. I think this is very useful.

Christianity, for example, has many practices for the benefit of mankind, especially in the fields of education and health. Buddhists can learn a lot here. At the same time, there are Buddhist teachings on deep meditation and ways of philosophical reasoning from which Christians could draw useful cultivation techniques. In ancient India, Buddhists and Hindus borrowed many positions from each other.

Since these systems are basically the same for the benefit of humanity, there is nothing wrong with learning from each other. On the contrary, it will help to develop respect for each other, help to promote harmony and unity. So I will talk a little about Buddhist ideas.

The root of the Buddhist doctrine is in the four noble truths: real suffering, its causes, the suppression of the latter, and the path to it. The four truths consist of two groups of effects and causes: suffering and its causes, the cessation of suffering and the ways of its realization. Suffering is like a disease. External and internal conditions that bring pain are the causes of suffering. The state of recovery from illness is the suppression of suffering and its causes. Medicines that cure ailments are the right ways.

The reasons for considering the effects (suffering and its suppression) before the causes (sources of suffering and ways) are as follows: first of all, we must establish the disease, the real torment, which is the essence of the first noble truth. Then it will no longer be enough just to recognize the disease. For in order to know what medicine to take, it is necessary to understand diseases. Hence, the second of the four truths are the causes or sources of suffering.

It will also not be enough to establish the causes of the disease, you need to determine whether it is possible to cure the ailment. This knowledge is precisely the third level, that is, that there is a correct suppression of suffering and its causes.

Now that the unwanted suffering has been identified, its causes established, then it has become clear that the disease can be cured, you are taking medicines which are remedies for the ailment. It is necessary to be sure of the paths that will lead to a state of liberation from suffering.

The most important thing is to immediately establish suffering. In general, there are three types of suffering: suffering from pain, suffering from change, and complex, pervasive suffering. Suffering from pain is what we usually think of as bodily or mental torment, such as a headache. The desire to be free from this type of suffering is characteristic not only of people, but also of animals. There are ways to avoid some forms of such suffering, such as taking medicines, dressing in warm clothes, elimination of the source of the disease.

The second level, the suffering of change, is what we superficially perceive as pleasure, but it takes a closer look to understand the true essence of suffering. Take as an example what is usually considered a pleasure - buying a new car. When you purchase it, you are extremely happy, delighted and satisfied, but as you use it, problems arise. If the causes of pleasure were internal, then the more you use the cause of satisfaction, the correspondingly more your pleasure should increase, but this does not happen. As you get used to it more and more, you begin to experience displeasure. Therefore, the essence of suffering is also manifested in the suffering of change.

The third level of suffering serves as the basis for the first two. It represents our own mental and physical polluted complexes. It is called complex, pervasive suffering, because it pervades and applies to all types of rebirth of beings, is part of the basis of present suffering, and also causes future suffering. There is no way to get out of this type of suffering other than to stop the series of rebirths.

These three types of suffering are established at the very beginning. Thus, not only are there no feelings that would be identified with suffering, but also there are no external or internal phenomena, depending on which such feelings would arise. The combination of minds and mental factors is called suffering.

What are the causes of suffering? What does it depend on? Among these, karmic sources and disturbing emotions are the second of the four noble truths about the true cause of suffering. Karma or action consists of bodily, verbal and mental deeds. From the point of view of the present reality or essence, deeds are of three kinds: virtuous, non-virtuous and indifferent. Virtuous deeds are those that bring about pleasant or good consequences. Non-virtuous deeds are those that cause painful or bad consequences.

The three main disturbing passions are defilement, desire and hatred. They splash out and many other types of disturbing emotions, such as envy and dislike. In order to stop karmic actions, these disturbing passions, which act as a cause, must be stopped. If we compare karma and violent emotions, then main reason suffering will be the last.

When you ask yourself whether it is possible to eliminate restless passions, you are already touching on the third noble truth, true cessation. If disturbing emotions were in the very nature of the mind, they could not be removed. For example, if hatred were in the nature of the mind, then we would feel the need for hatred for a long time, but this clearly does not happen. The same is true for attachment. Therefore, the nature of the mind, or consciousness, is not contaminated by defilements. Defilements are removable, fit to be eliminated from the ground, the mind.

It is clear that good relationships are the opposite of bad ones. For example, love and anger cannot occur simultaneously in the same person. As long as you feel anger towards some object, you will not be able to feel love in the same moment. Conversely, as long as you experience love, you cannot feel anger. This indicates that these types of consciousness are mutually exclusive, opposite. Naturally, as you become more inclined towards one type of relationship, the other will weaken and weaken. That is why, by practicing and multiplying compassion and love - the good side of the mind - you will automatically eradicate the other side of it.

Thus, it is established that the sources of suffering can be gradually eliminated. The complete disappearance of the cause of suffering is right cessation. This is the final liberation - this is the true, world-soothing salvation. This is the third of the four noble truths.

What path must you take in order to achieve this cessation? Since faults are predominantly due to the actions of the mind, the antidote must also be mental. Indeed, one must know about the ultimate existence of all phenomena, but the most important thing is to know the final state of the mind.

First you need to realize anew, directly and perfectly, the non-dual, absolute nature of the mind exactly as it is. This is the way of seeing. Then, at the next level, this perception becomes ordinary. This is already the path of meditation. But before these two levels, it is necessary to achieve a dual meditative stability, which is the unity of tranquility and special insight. Speaking in general terms, this must be done in order to have a forceful wise consciousness, for which it is necessary first of all to develop the stability of consciousness, called tranquility.

These are the levels of the path - the fourth noble truth, required for the realization of the third noble truth - the truth of cessation, which in turn eliminates the first two noble truths, namely: suffering and its causes.

The Four Truths are the core structure of Buddhist doctrine and practice.

Question: At least outwardly, there seems to be a difference between the Buddhist principle of elimination and the importance for the West of having a purpose in life, which implies that desire is good.

Answer: There are two types of desire: one is devoid of reason and mixed with violent passions, the second is when you look at the good as good and try to achieve it. The last type of desire is correct in view of the fact that any living being is involved in activity. For example, to believe that material progress, based on the understanding that this progress serves humanity and, therefore, is good, is also true.