It is seen that there is 3 types of dukka, firstly the ordinary suffering such as pain, poverty and death. Secondly, inherent suffering due to the impermanent of life, meaning humans have a desire for all objects to be permanent. The truth shows that the outside environment inherently is unstable, as well as our “self” through the concept of samsara. Nothing in the phenomenal universe is stable thus the problem lies we desire the security of permanence and thus without it we feel deprived of inner nourishment resulting in dukka. This is proven though metaphor by a Theravada Buddhist Heraclitus he states “you cannot step in the same river twice.” Illustrating the ever changing (Samsara nature) of the outside world. And thirdly suffering arises when due to human frustration at the limitless of human existence known commonly as angst or anguish. The 1st truth is seen as undeniable to all Buddhist.
The second truth accepts the idea of suffering and further examines the causes of suffering. According to Buddha suffering is caused by our own selfish desires, which are a result of ignorance. This statement must be understood as it does not mean simple things which cause suffering are our own fault such as death yet it simply means that being in the “unawakened” state prevents us from being free from dukka.
“It is craving which produces renewal of being, is accompanied by relish and greed, seeking its delight now here, now there, in other words craving for sensual experience, craving for being, craving for non being.”
The concept of ones ego prevents humans from breaking down the chronic limitations and thus resulting in further suffering. As unenlightened or ignorant humans we desire senses, experiences, life and permanence and as a result this causes a chain reaction of our desires and cravings leading to the concept of re-incarnation (rebecoming.) the whole cycle of rebecoming is called samsara. “Over and over, he tries and he struggles: over and over, the ignorant goes to the womb, over and over, he’s born and he dies: over and over, he is borne to his grave. But one who has wisdom as wide as the earth is not born over and over, for he has gained the path of not becoming over again.” This illustrates the samsara cycle in this cycle until we get away from desire we will be forever ignorant and due to it will simply continue but once we become “awakened” we will be able to break this cycle leading to Nibbana. Samsara is the opposite to nirvana, it is a name for existence seen as bondage to a set of ongoing rebirths caused by karma, and it is not until one is able to detach ourselves from the existing will one be able to reach nirvana. The force that keeps samsara in motion is Karama. This is the belief that each action has a cause and effect.
The Third noble truth is the cessation of suffering. The third noble truth shows that by accepting the idea of suffering, by understanding the causes of suffering, if we can eliminate the causes we can ultimately eliminate ones suffering.
“Cessation of suffering, as a noble truth, is this: it is a remainderless fading and ceasing, fiving up , relinquishing, letting go and rejecting of that same craving. “
This state of no suffering is referred to as “nirvana”. This word indicates a person who is at the highest state, however the English translation is impossible. It literally means “blowing out” meaning that a person is completely extinguished from the forces producing karma and rebirth. Nibbana is a release from desire it is where the universe is free from anatta (instability) and there is permanence and stability. In order to achieve Nibbana one must eradicate desire completely as it is a result of rebirth and therefore karma, one must also have a intuitive knowledge of dukka and have eliminated it from their existence and finally one must eradicate ignorance and demonstrate the four truths.
The fourth Nobel truth is the action, which is used to uphold the 3 other truths and further more reach Nibbana. The fourth novel truth outlines the concept of the eight-fold path.
“This is the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering: it is this Nobel eightfold path which consists of right view, eight intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.”
Each component of the path must be practised simultaneously. The Nobel path can be categorised into three sections, wisdom, conduct and meditation. Wisdom is the acceptance and the knowledge of all Buddha’s teachings and key Buddhist beliefs it also shows that one must not only learn it but theses teachings must become intuitive to ones existence. Conduct refers to moral behaviour. The basic moral behaviour is in the 5 precepts, which are, avoided killing, stealing, false speech, sexual misconduct and intoxicants. This is the basic ethical teaching for Buddhist and basically it is to act out of compassion for all sentient beings. The meditation component is used to achieve the elimination of ignorance and to help the beliefs penetrate as deep as possible into the consciousness both intellectually and intuitively. The upheaval of all elements of the eightfold path will result in the cessation of suffering and furthermore the achievement of enlighten.
The sermon is imperative to the understanding of Buddhism as it accurately outlines the principle beliefs, which underline Buddhism. These are ideas such as the middle path, impermanent, Dukka, cessation of suffering, samsara, karma, the eightfold path and nirvana. The upheavals of these beliefs as explained through the sermon will lead to an awakened state and sub sequentially the elimination of suffering thus nirvana.
Hagan, S. 1989. Buddhism Plain and Simple, Broadway
Student worksheet Page 55 (White Sacred Texts and Writings)
Living Religion Third Edition, Pearson Education, 2005
