2(a). The Four Noble Truths

There are four noble truths. They are called “noble truths” because they are perceived and penetrated by the noble ones. The Noble ones are those who have seen these truths and whose minds are free from defilements. This is the first explanation of the term.

The second explanation is that they are called “noble,” because they were discovered by the “noble one.” The “noble one” here means the Buddha, who is the noblest of the nobles. These four truths were neither created nor produced by the Buddha; they were just discovered by him. They are always there, but may be hidden under the cover of ignorance. When there is no Buddha in the world, the noble truths are forgotten.

There have been many Buddhas in the past and only at the time of a Buddha are these four noble truths discovered and revealed to the world. With the passing away of a Buddha and his immediate disciples, his teachings gradually disappear and these four noble truths become hidden again. After a long period of time, another Buddha will appear, discover the four noble truths, and reveal them again to the world.

The third explanation mentions that they are called noble truths because those who penetrate them become noble. One who penetrates or realizes these truths becomes a person whose mind is free from defilements. The penetration or the realization of these truths implies nobleness in a person, and they can be called noble truths or noblemaking truths.

The fourth explanation is that the truths themselves are noble and therefore, and be called noble truths. “Noble” here means real, neither erroneous nor deceptive.

The four noble truths (ariyasaccā) are:-

1. The noble truth of suffering (dukkhasaccā),
2. The noble truth of the origin of suffering (samudayasaccā),
3. The noble truth of the cessation of suffering (dukkhanirodhasaccā) and
4. The noble truth of the path that leads to the cessation of suffering (dukkhanirodhagāminī-paṭipadāariyasaccā).

These four are called noble truths because the realization of the truths makes an ignoble person to be noble. Besides, the noble truths are the truths which are noble; noble means true, not untrue, not deceptive, according as it is said: ‘these four noble truths, bhikkhus, are true, not untrue, not otherwise, therefore they are called noble truths.’⁵ Moreover, these truths were discovered, penetrated and then delivered by the noblest of the nobles whose mental defilements had already been completely eradicated.^[1] These four noble truths are called ‘cattāri ariyasaccāni’ in Pāli.^[2]

1. The first noble truth

The first noble truth is called dukkha in Pāli. The word dukkha (Skt. duhkha) is one of those Pāli terms that cannot be translated adequately into English, by one word, for no English word covers the same ground as dukkha in Pāli. Suffering, ill, anguish, unsatisfactoriness are some favourite renderings; the words pain, misery, sorrow, conflict, and so forth, are also used. The word dukkha, however, includes all that, and more than that. Though one likes to leave the term untranslated, for convenience sake both the words suffering and dukkha will be used wherever possible. After a perusal of this chapter the reader may be able to understand what dukkha means in the Buddha's teaching.

The meaning of dukkha here is “vile” (du) and “empty” (kha). Anything disgusting and empty, anything impermanent, without happiness, and without substance is called dukkha.

The characteristic of the first noble truth, the noble truth of suffering, is “affliction.” Suffering makes you miserable. It afflicts you, so the characteristic of suffering is affliction. Its function is to burn you, to make you miserable. It manifest as an occurrence, as a coming into being.

2. The second noble truth

The second noble truth is called samudaya in Pāli. Aya means “cause,” udaya means “arising,” and Saṃ means it is “combined with other conditions.” Craving, arising together with ignorance, clinging, kamma, and other factors supported by these other causes originate dukkha. Therefore, it is called samudaya, the “origin of dukkha.”

The second noble truth is about the origin of suffering, which is “craving”. It has the characteristic of “originating,” and its function is to prevent interruption. That means, it continues to cause indefinite origination and does not allow any interruption. The craving then manifests as an impediment.

3. The third noble truth

The Third noble truth is called dukkhanirodha in Pāli. The prefix Ni means “not” or “absence” and rodha means “prison.” There is no prison of dukkha, of the round of rebirths, in nibbāna, since it is free from all rebirths. Nibbāna is called dukkha nirodha, because it is a condition for the cessation of suffering.

The third noble truth, which is about nibbāna, has the characterristic of “peace” and “peacefulness.” Peacefulness means freedom from mental defilements-greed, hatred, delusion etc. Its function is neither to die nor to fade away. It manifests as being signless. Therefore, you cannot describe nibbāna either in terms of form or shape. Nibbāna has no attributes.

Once, King Milinda asked the Venerable Nāgasena whether it was possible to describe the shape or configuration or age or size of nibbāna, and the sage answered that it was not.^[3]

4. The fourth noble truth

The fourth one is the noble truth of the way that leads to the cessation of suffering, dukkha nirodhagāminī paṭipadā in Pāli. Paṭipadā means the “path” “way” or “practice”, gāminī “leads to”, dukkhanirodha the “cessation of suffering”. Actually, no phenomenon leads to any other place, it disappears wherever it arises. But this noble truth takes nibbāna or cessation of suffering as its object of practice when it arises. Therefore it is the way that leads to the cessation of suffering.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

SN I, p. 257; SA I, p. 31

[2]:

DN II, p. 312; Ps, p. 40

[3]:

The Question of King Milinda II, p. 151ff