Four Noble Truths Flashcards
What is the purpose of the four noble truths?
The four noble truths show why we suffer and how we can overcome suffering, shows dukkha as a part of our existence why we have dukkha - what we can do about dukka and how we escape dukka
Where did the Buddha first teach the four noble truths ?
. Turning the wheel of the Dhamma
The Buddhas first sermon = - four noble truths considered to be one of the Buddhas first if not the first teaching.
How did the Buddha come too understand the four noble truths.
Under the Bodhi tree - he mediated for serval weeks without moving and reached enlightenment finally understand suffering and how to accept it and escape from it indefinitely.
What is the doctor analogy ?
This an analogy in which the Buddha is often described with :
diagnosis and cause - first and second noble truths realised and understand suffering (diagnosis), and Understand its cause
Realisation of the possibility of a cure - in the 3rd noble truth
And the 4th noble truth set out noble eightfold path of how we can escape dukka - THE CURE
What are the four noble truths?
- Dukkha - suffering
- Samudaya - the origin of suffering
- Nirodha - cessation or possibility of being liberated from suffering.
- Magga - path to cessation of suffering
1st NT - What is dukkha ?
Dukkha is essentially suffering in the broadest sense - dukkha is a fact of life only way to escape is enlightenment
The 2nd mark of existence.
What are the three types of dukkha?
- Dukkha dukkha
- Viparama dukkha
- Samkamara dukkha
What is dukkha dukkha ?
Ordinary physical suffering - illness pain death wanting desires we can not have - seeing other suffering - this kind of suffering is everywhere.
What is viparimna dukkha?
The suffering that comes from impermanence and with pleasant things ending - from an inability to escape change - we as humans cling to pleasant situations when they end
What is sankhara dukkha ?
Suffering that comes from dissatisfaction with life itself - and the limits of being human - pointlessness of life and death
Who outlined these 3 kinda of suffering?
Denise cush
Quote about suffering from the Buddha :
“Birth is suffering sickness is suffering aging is suffering”
How did the Buddha realise dukkha ?
Four passing sights - treating significant had a profound effect on the Buddha he came to believe that life is impermanent and chacterised by suffering
Buddha key quote - “ i teach suffering …
“ I teach suffering , its origin cessation and path, that’s all i teach”
2nd noble truth - What is Samudaya ?
Samudaya is the second noble truth - it is the truth of the origin of suffering
What is the origin of suffering ?
Craving and hatred, it is clinging to the impermanent conditioned world (samsara) - the Buddha taught all root of suffering is craving.
Samudaya - Root of suffering is ..
Samaudaya - root of all suffering is craving
What are the three types of craving ?
Kama tanha
Bharat tanha
Vibhava tanha
1st type of craving?
Kama tanha
2nd type of craving ?
Bhahva tanha
3rd type of craving ?
Vibhavna tanha
What is Kama tanha ?
Kama tanha is the craving for bodily and sensual pleasures
What is Bhava Tanha ?
Craving to have or to be e.g to have a lot of money or to be famous and powerful
What is vibhava tanha ?
This is craving to not have or not be - e.g wanting to have no pain or to avoid all discomfort
What did the Buddha teach more about samudaya ?
The fire sermon
What did the Buddha say about samydaya ?
“Burning with the fire of lust with the fire of hate with the fire of delusion”
What are the Three poisons ?
Ignorance greed and hate
What Is the 3rd noble truth ?
Nirodha
What is nirodha ?
The cessation of suffering - the possibility of being liberated from suffering - stopping all tanha will stop or lesson suffering end of rebirth cycle and breaking out of samsara
Nirodha - how is this liberation achieved ?
When a Buddhist extinguishes the fires of greed hate and ignorance - therefore ending craving the cause of suffering meaning that suffering will stop
. Free the mind of thoughts of permanence and want
Two stands of Buddhism that have different views on nirodha ?
. Theravada
. Mayahana
Buddhists
2 Theravada veiws of nirodha ?
- Only true escape is Nirvana as its the closest living people can come to escaping suffering however we still have our body so haven’t escaped entirely
- When we die we reach pari - nivarda we are not reborn into samsara - totally escape suffering
2 Mahayana veiws of nirodha ?
- They dont follow four noble truths - instead belive in emptiness follow heart suttra
- Suffering is part of conditioned existence so it therefore has a cause so is therefore empty
What is the forth noble truth ?
Magga
What is Magga ?
The path to the cessation of suffering - practical path that is the middle way - follow noble eightfold path
When and how can Magga be followed ?
When - Once the person has accepted Buddhas teaching and the first 3 noble truths
How - person must do this in their own way they must not cling to Magga
Magga raft analogy ?
Magga is like a raft - a person must not cling to it and choose to stay of the raft - magga is nearly the raft that helps with crossing the sea of samsara to nirvana
What is the noble eightfold path and why is it sometimes called threefold way ?
8 precepts/guidelines that must be followed to reach nirvana - that can be divided in to three sections
What are the three seconds that 8 fold path can be split in to ?
Wisdom
Ethics
Mediation
Wisdom?
Right view and intention
Ethics ?
Right speech action and lively hood
Meditation ?
Right effort mindfulness and concentration
Name all 8 concepts from eightfold path -
- Right action
- Right intention
- Right speech
- Right action
- Right livelihood
- Right effort
- Right mindfulness
- Right concentration
Evaluation - Are the four noble truths to negative ? YES
- Dukkha only focuses on suffering of life that is not all the is to life
- Accepting suffering may be dangerous- stops people acting to stop suffering or helping those suffering
- Nirodha - desires make us happy
Evaluation - Are the four noble truths to negative ? NO
- Realistic not negative - inventible why deny it or pretend it’s not their leads to more suffering - they r positive as they offer a solution rather tan denial
- Dukkha doesn’t mean not helping - Buddha helped a sick monk
Are the four noble truths the most important Buddhist teaching ? 3 YES points
YES - especially for Theravada Buddhists
. Contain the essence of Buddhas teachings + discovered by Buddha while enlightenment search
. Amount first teachings given to the 5 aesthetics during first sermon so of high importance and seen by many to be the first Buddhist teaching
. Core of buddhisum teaches about how to escape samsara and suffering of this world + allows Buddhists to have complete understand as to why they need to meditate be mindful and reflect
Are the four noble truths the most important Buddhist teaching ? 3 NO points
. More important teachings
e.g the three marks of existence - more important than the four noble truths for recognising humanity + Mahayana Buddhists four noble truths Enhance other teachings e.g compassion
. Eightfold path - pathway to overcoming suffering aka the raft and key rules to enlightenment
. Mediation more practical after all how did Buddha reach enlightenment- sat under bohdi tree for 7 weeks.
