The Four Noble Truths
Sutra
Again, bhikkhus, one dwells contemplating mind-objects (dhammas) as mind-objects (dhammas) in terms of the Four Noble Truths. And how does one dwell contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects in terms of the Four Noble Truths?
Here, one understands as it actually is: “This is suffering”; one understands as it actually is: “This is the origin of suffering”; one understands as it actually is: “This is the cessation of suffering: one understands as it actually is: “This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering”; one understands as it actually is.
Insights
“In this way, one dwells contemplating mind-objects (dhammas) as mind-objects (dhammas) internally (within our self), or one dwells contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects externally (in others), or dwells contemplating mind-objects as mind both internally and externally.
Or else one dwells contemplating in mind-objects their arising factors, or dwells contemplating in mind-objects their vanishing factors, or dwells contemplating in mind-objects both their arising and vanishing factors.
Or else mindfulness that “there are mind-objects” (in this case we are mindful that there is a path) is simply established to the extent necessary for bare knowledge and continuous mindfulness. And one abides independent, not clinging to anything in the world. That is how one abides contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects in terms of the Four Noble truths.
The Fourth Noble Truth: The Way of Practice Leading to the Cessation of Suffering (The Noble Eightfold Path)
Sutra
And what, bhikkhus, is the Noble Truth of the Way of Practice Leading to the Cessation of Suffering? It is just this Noble Eightfold Path, namely: – Right View; Right Thought; Right Speech; Right Action; Right Livelihood; Right Effort; Right Mindfulness; Right Concentration.
Commentary
The sutra description of each path factor will be followed by the commentary on each path factor.
The Fourth Noble Truth describes the path that leads directly to the relinquishment (the gradual fading away) of craving, to the cessation of suffering, and to the realization of nibbana (the complete cessation of all greed, hatred and delusion) – the unconditioned reality. This remarkable teaching is referred to as the Noble Eightfold Path.
The factors of this path are divided into three sections: the morality section, which consists of right speech, right action, and right livelihood; the concentration section, which includes right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration; and the wisdom section, which encompasses right view and right intention.
The explanation of the path usually begins and ends with the two factors from the wisdom group: right view and right intention. The purpose is to demonstrate that we begin our spiritual development with a conceptual understanding of what is meant by the Four Noble Truths (sometimes called “mundane right view), and we finish our inward journey with a direct realization of what these truths represent (called supramundane right view).
The Eightfold Path brings the teaching to life. It moves our understanding of the Dharma from a collection of theoretical constructs to a direct experience of the truths to which they point. The Path is “The Middle Way,” in that it avoids all extremes and leads to a transcendence of all forms of duality.
The path factors do not need to be followed in any particular order. In fact, it can be helpful to work with them all simultaneously. To begin, however, a minimum of Right Understanding (View) is needed since we need to realize the unsatisfactory nature of sense experience to have an incentive to pursue the path with diligence and commitment.
These eight links, are to be developed for the full comprehension and penetration of greed, hate, delusion, fury, slander, envy, stinginess, hypocrisy, cunning, stubbornness, violence, conceit, haughtiness, vanity, indolence, and for their complete annihilation, overcoming, vanishing, extinction, abandoning, destruction, renunciation, and the detachment there from. The Buddha
In an excellent metaphor Buddha describes the process of fading away of these afflictive emotions below:
Suppose there was a seafaring ship bound with rigging that had been worn out in the water for six months. It would be hauled up on dry land during the cold season and its rigging would be further attacked by wind and sun. Inundated by rain from a rain cloud, the rigging would easily collapse and rot away. So too, when one develops and cultivates the Noble Eightfold path, one’s fetters easily collapse and rot away. The Buddha
Sutra
And what is Right View? It is the knowledge of suffering, the knowledge of the origin of suffering, the knowledge of the cessation of suffering, and the knowledge of the way of practice leading to the cessation of suffering. This is called Right View.
Commentary
Right View, at this point, is a theoretical understanding of the Four Noble Truths, the framework within which all of the Buddha’s teachings are contained. It is essential to develop Right View since our views govern all our decisions, actions, and ultimately the spiritual results we achieve.
Right View is the forerunner of the entire path, and the guide for all the other factors. To not have right view is like trying to drive somewhere without having a map or GPS to let us know what roads to take.
The Buddha said that he saw no single factor so responsible for the arising of unwholesome states of mind as wrong view, and no factor so helpful for the arising of wholesome states of mind as Right View. At this point in the training you will have cultivated this level of Right View.
The Right View that penetrates the Four Noble Truths with great wisdom comes at the end of the path. Along the way each stage of insight eliminates a particular kind of wrong view or misperception about the nature of reality.
There are two conditions to the arising of Right View, namely: instruction through another one, and one’s own wise consideration. The Buddha
Bhikkhus, suppose a spike of rice or a spike of barley were rightly directed and were pressed upon by the hand or foot. That it could pierce the hand or the foot and draw blood: that is possible. For what reason? Because the spike is rightly directed. So too, one with a rightly directed view, with a rightly directed development of the path, could pierce ignorance, arouse true knowledge, and realize Nibbana: this is possible. For what reason? Because one’s view is rightly directed. The Buddha
Sutra
And what is Right Intention (sometimes called Right Thought)? The intention of renunciation (letting go of holding on), the intention of non-ill-will (loving-kindness), the intention of harmlessness (compassion). This, is called Right Intention.
Commentary
Right Intention refers to the volitional aspect of thoughts (which is the motivation behind our thoughts), as opposed to the mind’s cognitive function. The motivations underlying thought determines whether our words, thoughts, and deeds are karmically wholesome (skillful) or unwholesome (unskillful). There are three types of Right Thought:
thoughts of renunciation, thoughts of loving-kindness, and thoughts of compassion. They counter the three kinds of “wrong” or unskillful intentions: intention governed by desire, intention governed by ill-will, and intention governed by the desire to harm or to be cruel to others.
Renunciation is the intention to simplify and streamline our life to make it more conducive to the work of mental cultivation. The key to spiritual growth is to renounce sense craving, craving for existence, and craving for non-existence, each of which perpetuates our experience of suffering. Renunciation also refers to abandoning the attachment to our limited and distorted views, and allowing the truth of each experience to speak for itself.
Loving-kindness is the intention to have all living beings be well, happy, and peaceful. The most significant barrier to the expression of loving-kindness is harboring anger and resentment toward ourselves or toward those who have treated us badly in the past. Our anger cannot change what has already transpired. Hateful intentions lead to unskillful behaviors and destroy our potential to experience the benefits of living with an open heart, free from all enmity. This is hugely important! Do you hold any resentment? Let it go right now! Immediately! NOW!
Compassion is the intention to relieve the suffering of others. It arises with the recognition of the universality of suffering and the realization that all living beings desire happiness. We need to express compassion through our actions and not just hold it as a thought in our mind. The Pali word for compassion is karuna which roughly translated as a “quivering of the heart. It is an action verb!
Now, Right Intention, I tell you, is of two kinds: –
Intention free from greed, from ill-will, and from cruelty is called ‘Mundane Right Intention,’ which yields worldly fruits and brings good results .
But, whatsoever there is of thinking, considering, reasoning, thought, application – the mind being pure, being turned away from the world, and conjoined with the path, the holy path being pursued; – these verbal operations of the mind are called the ‘Supermundane Right Intention,’ which is not of the world, but is Supermundane, and conjoined with the path. The Buddha
Sutra
And what is Right Speech? Refraining from Lying, refraining from slander, refraining from harsh speech, refraining from frivolous speech (idle chatter or gossip). This is called Right Speech.
Commentary
Speech is very powerful. Since there is always an intention motivating our speech, our speech has significant karmic consequences. Speech is capable of creating both concord and discord. It can be used to manipulate or to teach others the deep meaning of Dharma (through our example).
Although the four facets of Right speech are expressed in negative terms (“abstaining from”), each facet has a positive counterpart.
Abstaining from Lying
For example, abstaining from lying or false speech means to always speak the truth, while remaining sensitive to the potential impact of our communication. We should avoid even what appear to be harmless lies. At times, “noble silence” is the best response to an awkward or difficult situation.
One day the Buddha spoke to his son Rahula. He pointed to a bowl with a little bit of water in it and asked: “Rahula, do you see this bit of water left in the bowl?” “Yes sir.” “So little, Rahula, is the spiritual achievement of one who isn’t afraid to speak a deliberate lie.”
Then the Buddha threw the water away, put the bowl down, and said: Do you see, Rahula, how that water has been discarded? In the same way one who tells a deliberate lie discards whatever spiritual achievement he has made.” Again he asked: “Do you see this bowl is now empty? In the same way one who has no shame in speaking lies is empty of spiritual achievement.”
Then the Buddha turned the bowl upside down and said: “Do you see, Rahula, how this bowl has been turned upside down? In the same way one who tells a deliberate lie turns his spiritual achievements upside down and becomes incapable of progress.” Therefore”, the Buddha concluded, “one should not speak a deliberate lie even in jest.”
…devotion to truthful speech is a matter of taking our stand on reality rather than illusion, on the truth grasped by wisdom rather than the fantasies woven by desire. Bhikkhu Bodhi
Abstaining from Slanderous Speech
Slanderous speech is using words that intentionally create dissension between people. We should always speak words that encourage individuals to develop friendships and to be grateful for the friendships they already have. Speech that strives to bring harmony easily flows from a mind filled with loving-kindness and compassion.
Slanderous speech is a powerful negative force. It combines hatred with an action (speaking slanderously) taken after deliberation. The premeditation adds to the seriousness of this transgression.
Abstaining from Harsh Speech
When speech is painful to hear because of cruel, abusive, or offensive language, or because it is spoken to us with a stern tone of voice, the speech is considered harsh. The Buddha tells us that all words spoken should be “gentle, soothing to the ear, loving, such words as go to the heart and are courteous, friendly, and agreeable to many.”
The antidote to wanting to speak harshly is patience and compassion.
The fool thinks he has won a battle,
when he bullies with harsh speech;
but knowing how to be forbearing (patient)
alone makes one victorious. The Buddha
Abstaining from Idle Chatter;
Abstaining from idle chatter (pointless talk) involves not wasting time speaking of things that lead only to the perpetuation of delusion. The Buddha advised his listeners to eliminate all forms of gossip. Our speech should be conducive to our spiritual growth and the attainment of liberation.
Sutra
And what, is Right Action? Refraining from taking life, refraining from taking what is not given, refraining from sexual misconduct. This is called Right Action.
Commentary
Refraining from Taking Life
This aspect of Right Action means honoring and embracing all life forms, including those of insects and other creatures we may consider threatening, bothersome, or insignificant. It refers to intentional killing, the deliberate destruction of life of a being endowed with consciousness.
All living beings are afraid of the stick (violence);
All living beings fear death.
Comparing oneself to others,
Don’t hurt or cause another (to hurt). The Buddha
Refraining from Stealing (taking what has not been given to us)
This requires close examination of all our behaviors so that we can adhere to this principle even in what appear to be trivial circumstances such a taking home office supplies or not returning things borrowed. Stealing also includes fraudulent behavior, which is meant to take possession of other people’s possessions or money through deceit or trickery.
The counter point to stealing is generosity. Most people, if asked, would say that they consider themselves generous. In reality, however, most of us have a difficult time “letting go.” The generosity we do express may often be limited to the members of our immediate family.
When we forgo an opportunity to express generosity, it is generally because we are attached to our possessions or resources. Since we believe ourselves to be generous we tend to justify our selfish actions. We may say that we do not have enough even for ourselves, that we may need in the future what we are thinking of giving away, that the recipient would not appreciate the value of our gift, and so forth. Have you ever thought this way? To cultivate a generous heart we must first begin by recognizing the depth of our attachments and by realizing what makes us resistant to opening our hearts in this way.
For some individuals, giving of their time is more difficult than giving away material goods. To spend time with someone who is ill, in pain, or who frequently complains can be very trying. However, this form of generosity is closely associated with compassion and is extremely worthwhile to cultivate.
Refraining from Sexual Misconduct
Sexual misconduct includes rape, adultery, and other obviously inappropriate sexual encounters. On a more subtle level, we need to avoid any activities in which we relate to others as objects of sexual desire – such as watching pornography, talking about our physical attraction to others, and making sexual innuendoes through our words or actions.
Respect. Consideration in regard to our intimate relationships pertains to less obvious forms of sexual misbehavior. For example, if one person in a relationship is not inclined toward sexual intimacy, his or her partner needs to respect those wishes and act accordingly. Attempts to persuade one’s partner to be intimate or to use sexual intimacy as a bargaining chip in the relationship demonstrates a lack of consideration and is regarded as a breach of this precept.
And what, Bhikkhus, is Right Livelihood? Here, bhikkhus, the disciple, having given up wrong livelihood, keeps himself by right livelihood
Commentary
When the Buddha described right livelihood as part of the Noble Eightfold Path, he advised us to earn our living by honest means. He cautioned us to avoid doing harm to others either during the performance of our work, or as a result of the work that we perform. If upon reflection, we discover that there are elements of deceit or harm in the work that we are doing, we need to eliminate such unskillful practices. If this is not possible, we are advised to choose another career. When we commit our self to this spiritual path we must be willing to include everything- everything is “on the table”.
The Buddha discussed five specific forms of livelihood to be avoided that directly or indirectly bring harm to others: dealing in weapons; dealing in living beings, which includes slavery, prostitution, and raising animals for slaughter; dealing in meat production or butchering; dealing in poisons; and dealing in the production or sale of intoxicants.
On a more subtle level, there are business organizations where competitors are considered the enemy, and strategies are devised to eliminate them. Although no physical harm is implied, this kind of attitude cultivates hatred and division, which can ultimately lead to unskillful speech and actions.
Employers may be engaging in wrong livelihood by not providing their employees with adequate pay or by not offering them promotions that they have earned. Employees may be engaging in wrong livelihood by working on personal projects while on company time, by not performing their duties conscientiously, or by taking home supplies that belong to the organization.
Finally, if you were to discuss your career with the Buddha himself, what aspects would you be hesitant to mention, perhaps because you question the ethics of your actions or the purity of your intentions? We need to deeply consider this question to be sure that we are truly engaged in right forms of livelihood.
Dear friends, by paying attention to, and mindfully examining our intentions, our speech, our actions, and our livelihood as outlined in the Fourth Noble Truth of the path to be followed, we bring our selves full circle back to Right View. Being mindful of our intentions and actions allows us to see clearly, from our own direct experience, the truths that lie at the heart of these Four Noble Truths.
We understand what suffering is (from our direct experience)- First Truth
We see the cause of suffering (greed, hatred and ignorance) from our direct experience and work to abandon the cause. Second Truth
And we get a glimpse of the cessation of suffering as we realize the fruits of kindness, compassion and letting go. Third Truth
It is this glimpse of the possibility of complete cessation of greed, hatred and delusion which motivates us to continue our practice.
Please spend time this month examining the intentions beneath your thoughts, speech, actions, and livelihood. Don’t intellectualize or justify what you uncover. Simply open your heart and see what emerges as your truth.
