The Buddha was an ordinary human who attained enlightenment through his own efforts and dedicated his life to sharing his wisdom to help others do the same. His first teaching, delivered in Sarnath near Varanasi, India, introduced the Four Noble Truths—one of the core teachings in Buddhism. This teaching offers insight into the nature of human suffering and outlines the path to overcoming it, providing a clear path towards liberation.

1. The Truth of Suffering

The first truth is the recognition that suffering or misery is a fundamental part of human existence.

The word “suffering” (dukkha) is often misunderstood. It isn’t limited to physical pain but encompasses all unpleasant experiences, including physical discomfort, emotional distress, loneliness or stress. A better translation for Dukkha would be dissatisfaction or discontent. The Buddha described suffering on three levels:

• The Suffering of Suffering: The most obvious forms of suffering, such as physical pain or emotional distress, which even animals try to avoid.
• The Suffering of Change: Even pleasurable experiences are unsatisfactory because they are impermanent. Things we find pleasurable, like relationships or possessions, are not inherently satisfying. Over time, they change or fade, leaving us craving more or feeling disappointed.
• Pervasive Suffering: The underlying condition of being caught in the cycle of existence (samsara), which is inherently unsatisfactory. As long as our minds are influenced by ignorance and negative emotions, we remain vulnerable to suffering.

Misunderstandings About the First Noble Truth

A common misconception is that the Buddha’s teaching on suffering implies life is only pain and misery. However, the Buddha didn’t claim that everything is suffering. Instead, he pointed out that dissatisfaction pervades our lives as long as we cling to our delusions and desires. For those who never question their mental habits and continually seek happiness on external factors, suffering becomes inevitable.

2. The Truth of the Cause of Suffering

Understanding the causes of suffering is key to overcoming it. The second noble truth identifies the root causes of suffering as delusions and karma.

Delusions

Delusions are mental afflictions and negative emotions that cloud our minds and distort our perception of reality. There are three main sources of delusion : ignorance, anger and attachment. Our ignorance about the true nature of reality, particularly our inflated sense of self, gives rise to attachment and aversion. These lead us into actions (karma) that perpetuate the cycle of suffering.

Karma

Karma refers to volitional action and the law of cause and effect governing our actions, words, and thoughts. Every intentional action we take—whether positive, negative, or neutral—creates future consequences.

3. The Truth of the Cessation of Suffering

The third noble truth offers a solution: it is possible to attain a state free from suffering. Since suffering is rooted in our mind, by eliminating the delusions and negativity, we can achieve a state of lasting peace, known as Nirvana. This cessation of suffering doesn’t imply a temporary relief but rather a complete liberation from the cycle of dissatisfaction and mental afflictions.

4. The Truth of the Path to the Cessation of Suffering

The fourth noble truth outlines the path that leads to the cessation of suffering. This path to enlightenment is described in the Eightfold Path, or the Six Perfections, depending on the Buddhist tradition.

The Eightfold Noble Path

The Eightfold Path is a practical guide to overcoming suffering and achieving enlightenment. It outlines eight interrelated steps that lead to ethical conduct, mental discipline, and wisdom. These are:

1. Right View : Gaining right understanding of the nature of reality by eliminating confusion, misunderstanding, and deluded thinking.
2. Right Intention : Developing the right mindset, free from ill will and harmful desires.
3. Right Speech : Abstaining from lying, from divisive speech, from abusive speech, and from idle chatter and gossip.
4. Right Action : Abstaining from killing, abstaining from stealing, abstaining from sexual misconduct.
5. Right Livelihood : Earning a living in a way that doesn’t harm others, avoiding professions that promote suffering or exploitation, do not take intoxicants.
6. Right Effort : Cultivating positive states of mind, preventing unwholesome thoughts, and fostering wholesome actions.
7. Right Mindfulness : Being fully aware and present in each moment, observing thoughts, feelings, and sensations without attachment or judgment.
8. Right Concentration : Developing deep focus and meditation, leading to mental clarity and peace.

In S. N. Goenka’s Vipassana tradition, the Eightfold Noble Path is presented under three stages :

1. Sīla—morality. It is the foundation and preparation upon which the Dharma practice is built. It includes right speech, right action, and right livelihood.
2. Samādhi—mental concentration. It consists of focusing the mind, allows it to build the mental qualities needed to contemplate phenomena and penetrate to wisdom. It includes right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.
3. Paññā—wisdom through insight. It is experiential knowledge of reality that releases one from improper views and introduces them to correct views. It encompasses right view and right intention.

The Six Perfections

In the Mahayana tradition, the path to the cessation of suffering is outlined in Six Perfections (Pāramitās). They are the positive virtues to cultivate in order to achieve enlightenment. The six perfections are:

1. Generosity (Dāna) : The practice of selfless giving, whether material gifts, protection, time, or Dharma without expecting anything in return.
2. Morality (Śīla) : Refraining from harmful actions of body, speech and mind.
3. Patience (Kṣānti) : Developing a calm positive state of mind in the face of hardship, adversity, or provocation, without getting upset. It’s also referred to as forebearance or tolerance.
4. Diligence (Vīrya) : The perfection of energy, perseverance, or joyous effort. It consists in diligently applying oneself to spiritual endeavors and Dharma practices.
5. Meditative Concentration (Dhyāna) : Cultivating attention in order to keep the mind focused single-pointedly.
6. Wisdom (Prajñā) : The development of insight into the true nature of reality, especially the understanding of emptiness (śūnyatā).

Below is a diagram explaining the relationship between the Eightfold path, the Six perfections and the three stages described in the Vipassana tradition.

The Three Aspects of the Path

In addition, the Three Principal Aspects of the Path to Enlightenment are foundational teachings in Mahayana Buddhism that guide practitioners toward achieving full enlightenment. These are :

1. Renunciation: the wish to be free from suffering and its causes. It involves recognizing the unsatisfactory nature of worldly existence and developing a sincere determination to break free from attachment to temporary pleasures and delusions.
2. Bodhicitta: the wish to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is the altruistic intention to help others overcome suffering by becoming a fully awakened being.
3. Wisdom (Skt. Prajñā): the wisdom that understands the ultimate nature of reality. It is the realization that all phenomena are empty of inherent, independent existence, and that things arise dependently. This insight dispels ignorance, which is the root cause of suffering.

Analogy of the Buddha as a Doctor

The Four Noble Truths can be compared to the process of diagnosing and treating an illness. Imagine going to a doctor with food poisoning: the doctor first identifies your symptoms, traces their origin, then provides a prognosis (it is possible to recover), and prescribes the right medicine. Similarly, the Buddha first identifies our suffering, traces its origin to our delusions, and prescribes a path to healing: the practices of wisdom and compassion.

Conclusion

The Four Noble Truths provide a clear guide to understanding suffering and how to overcome it. Through practices of wisdom and compassion, one can gradually free the mind from the delusions that cause suffering, leading to ultimate liberation and lasting inner peace.

DISCLAIMER : The information shared in this article are based on my personal experience from various Buddhist courses I attended in India and Nepal. I am not by any means an expert on the subject. If you notice any inaccuracies, please feel free to contact me or mention them in the comments.