The Four Noble Truths - Essay Example

The Four Noble Truths Introduction The Four Noble Truths refer to essential realizations Siddhartha Guatama is believed to have attained on his pathtowards spiritual enlightenment. They demonstrate a spiritual concern with the resistance of material longing, the cessation of suffering, and how to apply Siddhartha’s teachings to help achieve Nirvana. This essay examines the Four Noble Truths and raises a number of critical objections to their contemporary applicability. I. First Noble Truth The first noble truth is suffering, or dukkha. Buddhist philosophy contends that there should be a general acceptance of suffering as it is an indelible part of the human condition (Humpherys 53). That is, all humans experience some form of suffering in their lives. Whether it is mental, physical, or emotional suffering is pervasive and unavoidable. One of the important concepts regarding the first noble truths is that suffering exists in many forms. While there is physical suffering, wherein we have an injury that causes direct stress to our sensory organs, the concept is also extended to more abstract forms. For instance, birth is suffering, the passing of time and growing older elicits suffering, death causes suffering – the world is filled with suffering at every turn and it is fundamentally impossible to escape this essential truth. Another important characteristic of dukkha concerns the ever-changing nature of human happiness. Even as humans are capable of achieving transitory happiness, the world is forever changing, and one’s happiness will assuredly vanish in time. In this regard, it seems that human suffering is due to attachment to things that are themselves unsatisfactory (Kalupahana 38). This does not discount the fact that there are worldly pleasures and joys that can be contrasted with suffering, such as comfort and well-being. However, the essential nature of life is impermanence, so while we may work towards and cursorily achieve a sense of well-being or happiness, dukkha is pervasive and will eventually reappear, as our loved ones die, our jobs are out-sourced, or we are shot and killed. Buddhism argues that the positive value of life isn’t diminished by the truth of suffering, but by acceptance of life’s evanescence the human attains a higher degree of reality that is spiritually beneficial (Davids 165). Indeed, the all-consuming nature of suffering is a feature that binds all of humanity in spiritual harmony. The Buddhist path to enlightenment has an answer to the problem of suffering. The Buddha found that when we experience happiness and joy, it is our spiritual duty to objectively remove ourselves from these experiences and become consciously aware of their impermanence. Buddhist philosophy contends that the human experience of joy and happiness is merely a reaction to a circumstance and not a permanent mental state. The very structural nature of happiness then includes the binary existence of unhappiness – the two are inseparable; therefore, even as happiness is impermanent, so is suffering. A. Objection to the First Noble Truth There are many objections to the idea that all of life is suffering, as one might content that such a characterization of the human condition is overly pessimistic. It’s possible that Buddhist philosophy is unfairly biased by the environment in which it emerged. When Buddha developed the Four Noble Truths the Indian people faced considerable difficulties in life. Their subsistence was harder earned than we experience today, and the First Noble Truth can be seen to be a response to this challenge of existence, rather than an accurate reflection of the human condition. While all humans experience suffering, to claim that this is one of the all pervasive factors that should guide our life is an extremely pessimistic outlook on existence. Assuredly, there are many people who have lives of sustained bliss for which suffering is but a marginal emotion they experience when they lose out on a role in a movie, or only make 3 million dollars instead of 5 million. The Buddha is almost saying that we should expect the worst, but hope for the best, and this outlook might not be the best paradigm to hold to achieve Western standards of success. Of course, the Buddha would also deride Western standards of success as shallow and impermanent desires that should be spiritually transcended. II. The Second Noble Truth The Second Noble Truth, samudaya, contends that suffering is a result of material longing and desire. It follows that by eliminating material longing and desire, one can eliminate suffering. While this is a simple formulation, the actual challenge of eliminating desire is extremely difficult. When one considers the amount of longing and desire that is experienced throughout their daily existence, it’s easy to understand the near impossibility of this task. These desires can be characterized as craving (Davids 89). Just as suffering is an all pervasive element of the human condition, so are daily human cravings. Craving can take many forms: It is as basic as desiring your team to win a football game, to as all-consuming as a crystal meth addiction. It is an essential characteristic of humanity to crave sensory satiation through pleasantries, such as smells, sounds, and tastes. Of course this includes sexual desire, and is the primary motivation for Buddhist monks’ vows of celibacy. Craving can also be extended to include the gratification of the passions, or the longing we have for an abstract sense of accomplishment of success in our earthly lives. Another primary cause of suffering and craving is ignorance. This is a complicated concept in Buddhist philosophy as it can be related to a number of forms. Essentially, it is through ignorance that people believe their material longings will bring them happiness. There is also a more literal understanding of ignorance, wherein the individual is ignorant of the ways of the world. For instance, the European mainland once believed that the earth was flat and convinced themselves that if they traveled too far into the ocean they would assuredly reach a point where they would fall. This is a delusional understanding of the realities of the world, and this ignorance contributes to desire, and is also a cause of spiritual confusion that engenders suffering. The Second Noble Truth states that if we persist in allowing our lives to be dominated by desire and ignorance we will always be haunted by an unachievable longing and pervasive suffering. Therefore, the Buddha states that to achieve spiritual transcendence one must be guided by what is, not what is desired. One must fight against their preconditioned ways of longing and desire and accept the world and their place in it as it currently exists, as this is the only path to true happiness. This idea is very similar to the First Noble Truth as it contends that through objective understanding of our desires we can a spiritual transcendence over them. Buddhist philosophy promotes altruism, as it is through generosity and giving that one can transcend desire and craving – provided the act is carried out with spiritually correct intentions, the process of giving is the antithesis to the impulse towards material longing. Buddhism also says that one must move beyond their worldly ignorance, and promotes gradual self-edification and spiritual curiosity. This way one develops the mind and overcomes notions of ignorance. Through the acceptance and attainment of these philosophical tenants, one can achieve ultimate spiritual enlightenment. A. Objection to the Second Noble Truth When considering the Second Noble Truth, one must question whether desire always leads to suffering. Desire is an incredibly vague and abstract concept that can effectively be applied all human thought – do I desire to end this sentence with a question mark? Do I desire to eat because I am hungry or breathe because I am alive? In this regards it seems that the Buddhist chastisement of desire isn’t specific enough. Perhaps, Buddha’s message is solely restricted to material desire, or certain types of desire, but at this point where is the categorical distinction made. Should a truly enlightened Buddhist fight his desire to eat cereal instead of corn, or does this desire actually reflect internal body mechanisms that help sustain a healthy individual? In this regard, desire is actually beneficial and the denial of this craving could potentially result in nutritional deficiencies. And what about subconscious desire? One must question if it is even possible to transcend unconscious impulses through conscious reflection. III. Third Noble Truth The Third Noble Truth is the end of suffering, or nirodha. The concept of nirodha is known as Nirvana and is the pinnacle spiritual goal of Buddhism. The concept can be understood in relation to Christian salvation (Cook 133). Nirvana is a spiritual state that transcends all traditional concerns with material existence. This is a state of mental bliss, free from all forms of suffering, the ultimate spiritual enlightenment (Ranasinghe 333). The Buddhist philosophy holds that human beings are capable of ridding their lives of suffering. By eliminating all forms of material longing and desire, developing wisdom and freedom from ignorance, and transcending all forms of ill-will, the individual can avoid suffering and achieve spiritual enlightenment, or Nirvana. The Buddhists hold that the elimination of suffering is the ultimate and truest form of happiness. Buddhist philosophy discusses a second and higher form of the cessation of suffering – that is, the ultimate Enlightenment or liberation. The supreme Enlightenment is the final goals of the Buddhist spiritual trajectory, of which the most valued qualities are compassion and freedom from ignorance. Through this perfect understanding is the enlightened individual capable of understanding the true and essential nature of the world. This is a difficult concept to quantify, and indeed researchers have noted the paradoxical challenge one faces when attempting to use the linguistic utterance to signify such a transcendent state of being (Jayatilleke 123). It is impossible to use words or traditional forms of communication to convey the concept of Enlightenment, as the only way to truly grasp the concept of Enlightenment is through personally attaining it. Buddhists believe that the Buddha is not capable of teaching one to achieve Nirvana in the traditional sense – that is, if you do this and this and this you will then learn this. Instead, the by following Buddha’s teachings one learns the path to spiritual Enlightenment. This is an important distinction, as human beings must follow their own individual paths towards spiritual Enlightenment, not attempt to completely replicate the life of the Buddha. Instead, his teachings should be used as sign posts along their individual journey towards Nirvana. IV. The Fourth Noble Truth The Fourth Noble Truth, or magga, is the Eight-Fold Path towards the cessation of suffering and spiritual Enlightenment. Theorists have identified it as, “a practical guideline to ethical and mental development with the goal of freeing the individual from attachments and delusions; and it finally leads to understanding the truth about all things (Knierims 5.1).” The Eight Fold Path is the Buddha’s teachings on how to find the path towards Nirvana. As its name implies the Eight Fold Path includes eight sign posts for the individual’s journey towards spiritual Enlightenment. The first step is the Right View; this refers to the necessity of obtaining the right view of the world and seeing things as they truly are. The second step is right intention; this is the commitment to doing the spiritually just thing in all situations. The third step is right speech; right speech is the first step of ethical conduct on the Eight Fold Path, and it is viewed as a guideline to morality and informs other elements of the path. The fourth step is right action; this is the second ethical principal and is directly related to the actions of the physical body, as ill actions lead to unhealthy states of mind. The fifth step is right livelihood; this refers to the type of job and more broadly acts of daily existence the person engages in. The right livelihood should be reflective of Buddhist ideals of compassion and generosity. The sixth step is right effort; right effort is the physical and ethical embodiment of right action and informs all further steps on the Eightfold Path. The seventh step is right mindfulness; this refers to the Buddhist tenant of eliminating ignorance, and encourages the individual towards self-edification and developing a sound and thoughtful mind. The eighth and final step of the Eight Fold Path is right concentration; right concentration is an essential element of the path as it refers to the spiritually correct means by which an individual uses their cognitive faculties to resist cravings and overcome suffering. Conclusion In conclusion, the Four Noble Truths demonstrate the Buddha’s spiritual realizations on his path to Enlightenment and function as guideposts for individuals on their own path towards Nirvana. The First Noble Truth is that all life is suffering. Upon closer inspection, it’s possible to question the validity of the assertion, as many might categorize it as overly pessimistic. The Second Noble Truth is that all desire leads to suffering. A deconstructive analysis of this truth asks whether the Buddha properly identifies the limitations of desire, and asks whether there might be some forms of desire that are actually beneficial. The Third Noble Truth refers to the end goal of the path of spiritual enlightenment and refers to it as the cessation of all forms of suffering, which can be obtained by adherence to spiritual progress. The Fourth Noble Truth is the Eightfold Path, which offers the individual sign posts on their quest towards Nirvana. Works Cited Cook, Francis. Buddhism: A Modern Perspective. Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania University Press, 1975. Davids, Mrs. Rhys. Buddhism: A Story of the Buddhist Norm. London: Thorton Butterworth, 1928. Humphreys, Christmas. An Invitation to the Buddhist Way of Life. New York: Schocken Books, 1969. Jayatilleke, K. N. The Message of the Buddha. London: Ruskin House, 1975. Kalupahana, David. Buddhist Philosophy: A Historical Analysis. Honolulu: University Press of Hawaii, 1976. Knierim, Thomas. Big View. 1999. 1 November 2004 . Ranasinghe, C. P. The Buddhas Explanation of The Universe. Ceylon: Colombo, 1957. Read More