The Four Noble Truths (key Beliefs)

Question 1

What are the four noble truths

Answer 1

1. Dukkha
2. Tanha / samudaya
3. Nirodha
4. Magga

Question 2

What is Dukkha

Answer 2

Often translated suffering or anxiety/ distress

Question 3

What are the three types of Dukkha

Answer 3

1. Dukkha-Dukkha
2. Viparinama dukkha
3. Samkhara dukkha

Question 4

What is dukkha-dukkha

Answer 4

Ordinary suffering eg a negative experience

Some examples include ageing, injuries, death

Question 5

What is viparinama dukkha

Answer 5

Suffering through change- the changes of something good to something bad or the experience of the ups and downs of life

Question 6

What is samkhara dukkha

Answer 6

Suffering through the attachment to something or someone
Or more commonly the suffering of subtle unsatisfactoriness often referred to as the existential dukkha when life as a whole seems meaningless

Question 7

Quote for dukkha

Answer 7

‘Now this, bhikkhus, is the noble truth of suffering: birth is suffering, aging is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering; union with what is displeasing is suffering; separation from what is pleasing is suffering; not to get what one wants is suffering; in brief, the five aggregates subject to clinging are

Question 8

What is the origins of suffering

Answer 8

Samudaya

Question 9

What causes samudaya

Answer 9

It comes from the cravings born of ignorance

Question 10

What are the three poisons??

Answer 10

Craving for things that bring pleasant feelings
Craving power over others
Craving to be removed from the world due to painful feelings
Or….
Ignorance, greed and hate
‘All is burning… burning with the fire of ignorance greed and hate’

Question 11

What is nirodha??

Answer 11

The third noble truth

It is the end of all suffering and it causes the point at which bad experiences and the causes of them will disappear

Question 12

What is samsara

Answer 12

The circle of life , death and rebirth in Buddhism

Can only be broken out of by reaching nirvana and can be improved upon by practising Buddhism

Question 13

What is nibbana (nirvana?) ??

Answer 13

The end of greed ignorance or hatred
In Mahayana Buddhism it is believed to be your ‘true self’
It is where you are filled with knowledge and fulfilment
No false sense of being

Question 14

What is the noble eightfold path made up of??

Answer 14

1. Right vision
2. Right emotion
3. Right speech
4. Right action
5. Right livelihood
6. Right effort
7. Right mindfulness
8. Right meditation

Question 15

What is the noble eightfold path

Answer 15

The steps that make up a Buddhists life

Question 16

What is a different presentation of the eightfold path

Answer 16

The threefold way

Question 17

What does the threefold way consist of

Answer 17

Ethics (sila)
Meditation (samadhi)
Wisdom (panna)

Question 18

What is magga also known as??

Answer 18

The middle way

The path of liberation from dukkha

Question 19

Quote for magga

Answer 19

Dhammapada 190-191
‘He who has gone for refuge to the Buddha, the Teaching and his Order, penetrates with transcendental wisdom the Four Noble Truths — suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the Noble Eightfold Path leading to the cessation of suffering

Question 20

Quote for the eightfold path

Answer 20

Now this, bhikkhus, is the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering: it is this noble eightfold path; that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.