The Four Noble Truths

• The Four Noble Truths and the Buddha’s first teachings he realised his achieved enlightenment
• The first truth is all life is suffering or Dukkha
• The Buddha says there is multiple types of suffering such as physical, emotional, and suffering of change
• Physical suffering is suffering such as headache or sickness
• Emotional suffering can be getting embarrassed or stressed
• suffering of change is the fact that impermanent things cause us to suffer e.g. grandparents growing old
• The second noble truth is that the cause of dukkha is craving or Tanha
• Craving is forming attachments to things, people or feelings and relying on them to make us happy
• Things we know will change and never stay the same are impermanent
• The Buddha says there is multiple types of craving such as for pleasures or being
• Craving for pleasure is things such as gadgets or money
• Craving for being is things such as wanting to be someone or have a different job
• The third noble truth is the way to overcome dukkha is to over come tanha or nirodha
• If our cravings cause us to suffer then the way to overcome that is to stop craving, however wanted to stop craving is a form of craving in itself
• The ending of craving is called nirodha
• Cravings are fuelled by the three poisons, greed, anger, ignorance
• The fourth noble truth is to over come dukkha is to follow the middle way or magga
• The middle way is to make sure the body is healthy enough to strengthen the mind but must not overcrowd it with material items such as riches
• In order to live the middle way you must follow the steps of the eightfold path