The Four Noble Truths : 1. Explanation of the Noble Truth of Suffering

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The Four Noble Truths:

1. Explanation of the Noble Truth of Suffering

 

 

Lamentation [parideva]: This is suffering that drives you to tears.

 

The Lord Buddha’s explanation of suffering includes all four of suffering’s implications in the light of the Four Noble Truths:

 

        1.1 Suffering as bringing misery

        1.2 Suffering as conditioning

        1.3 Suffering as an affliction

        1.4 Suffering as decay

 

1.1 Suffering as bringing misery

 

This is the direct explanation of the Noble Truth of Suffering – explained from the pointg of view of bringing misery. From this point of view, suffering has twelve characteristics:

 

        1.1.1 This form if suffering is unavoidable for all still caught in the cycle of existence.

 

        1.1.2 Aging [jara]: This form of suffering has the characteristic of deterioration of the bodily organs and faculties.

 

 

Pain [dukkha]: This is suffering that makes the mind depressed and dejected.

 

        1.1.3 Illness [byadi]: This form of suffering has the characteristic of coming from loss of good health, which makes one suffer in various ways.

 

        1.1.4 Death [marana]: This form of suffering is of the characteristic of bringing one to the end of one’s life.

 

        1.1.5 Sorrow [soka]: This form of suffering is of the characteristic of being afflicting one with ‘burning in one’s heart’, anxiety, dry-mindedness as if you have a huge weight on your chest or blocking the normal function of your chest.

 

        1.1.6 Lamentation [parideva]: This is suffering that drives you to tears.

 

        1.1.7 Pain [dukkha]: This is suffering that makes the mind depressed and dejected.

 

        1.1.8 Feeling slighted [domanassa]: This is when one has a ‘chip on one’s shoulder’ (to be aggressively sensitive about a grudge).

 

        1.1.9 Bemoaning [upayassa]: This is the suffering that causes you to bemoan something missed.

 

 

This is the suffering that causes you to bemoan something missed.

 

        1.1.10 Exponsure to hatheful things [apiyehi sampayoga]: This is the suffering that causes cloudedness, grief, melancholy and heart-break as the result of coming into contact with things to which we are averse.

 

        1.1.11 Separation from loved ones and treasured things [piyehi vipayoga]: This is the suffering arising when one is separated from the beings and mental formations we love.

 

        1.1.12 Disapponintment [yam piccham na labhati]: This is the suffering with the character of non-fulfillment of wishes when one is not gratified in the things one was hoping for.

 

These twelve different sorts of suffering are of the nature to bring misery to all living beings. The only certain thing in the life of eve3ry living being is that one will have to encounter the misery of suffering at some time in one’s life. There is on-one who can evade the misery of suffering. For all of these reasons, the Lord Biddha taught us that suffering is of the nature to bring misery.

 

1.2 Suffering as conditioning

 

This  second characteristic of suffering demonstrates the in ter-relation with the second Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering. The Lord Buddha taught that suffering only arises because it is conditioned to arise by craving. There is nothing more directly responsible for the arising of suffering than craving.

 

 

The Lord Buddha taught that suffering only arises because it is conditioned to arise by craving.

 

1.3 Suffering as an affliction

 

This third meaning of suffering shows the direct inter-relation with the fourth Noble Truth of the Path of Practice for an end of suffering. That suffering is an affliction, in the same way that patients continue to suffer from illnesses they make no effert to heal, suffering continues to ail those who are still reckless and make no effort to practice the Eightfold Path for an end of suffering. If living beings made the effort to practice the Noble Eightfold Path, they could effectively remove themselves from the clutches of suffering.

 

1.4 Suffering from the point of view of decay

 

This fourth meaning of suffering is intended by the Buddha to show the direct inter-relation between suffering and the cessation of suffering. The Buddha shows his objective to inform living beings that the suffering which brings them misery from the moment they are born will continue for as long as those living beings have not attained cessation [nirodha] of suffering, better known by the word ‘Nirvana’. Whosover is well-developed in their Perfections and in their wisdom will be able to attain the Noble Paths and Fruits of Enlightenment and finally attain Nirvana. Those who have become united with Nirvana, will finally cast off the shackles of suffering once and for all and will be left in happiness for eternity. Deterioration and decay that are the characteristics of all things still within the clutches of suffering, will be transcended. This is the reason why in this fourth explanation of  the characteristic of suffering, the Buddha pointed clearly to to suffering’s inter-relation with the extinction of suffering.

 

to be continued...

 

 

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