The Four Noble Truths Buddhism The Four Noble Truths are key to an understanding of Buddhism and the Buddha's teaching. The first noble truth is suffering, the condition that all living beings experience in various forms. The cause of suffering is craving or selfish desire. However, there is a state which transcends suffering which the Buddha referred to as Nirvana, the third moble truth. The fourth noble truth is the Noble Eightfold Path, the Buddha's teaching on the way to attain Nirvana

Definition: These encapsulate the essential teaching of Buddhism: 1. The Noble Truth of Suffering 2. The Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering 3. The Noble Truth of the Extinction of Suffering 4. The Noble Truth that leads to the Extinction of Suffering.

Suffering or dukkha Suffering or dukkha is the first noble truth that in his search for enlightenment the Buddha came to see very clearly. As human beings, suffering is part of our lives, whether physical, mental or emotional. More fundamentally, there is a sense within us that life cannot bring lasting satisfaction. Life is impermanent and ever-changing, and any happiness that we enjoy is unstable. But why is this so?

Craving or tanha Craving or tanha is the second noble truth. If we suffer it is a result of selfish desire - wanting to satisfy our senses with pleasurable experiences and wanting to avoid what is unpleasant. This craving is also connected with bolstering our sense of ourselves as having a permanent self rather than a personality which is subject to change

Nirvana or Nibbana The end of suffering is Nibbana, the third Noble Truth. Buddhism would be a bleak religion if it stopped at the first two truths. When he attained enlightenment, the Buddha saw and experienced that there was an end to suffering, a place of ultimate peace and understanding. He taught that this state was here and now and could be experienced through following the right path

Noble Eightfold Path The Noble Eightfold Path, the Fourth Noble Truth (ariya-sacca), is the Buddha's practical method for attaining Nibbana. In short, the Noble Eightfold Path requires us to develop wisdom, morality and meditation. All three are necessary and inform each other. The eight factors that make up this path are: right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration

"A mother can't get (her wish) with regard to her child who is aging, 'I am aging, but may my child not age.' A child can't get (its wish) with regard to its mother who is aging, 'I am aging, but may my mother not age.' "A mother can't get (her wish) with regard to her child who is growing ill, 'I am growing ill, but may my child not grow ill.' A child can't get (its wish) with regard to its mother who is growing ill, 'I am growing ill, but may my mother not grow ill.' "A mother can't get (her wish) with regard to her child who is dying, 'I am dying, but may my child not die.' A child can't get (its wish) with regard to its mother who is dying, 'I am dying, but may my mother not die.' "These are the three things that are (genuine) mother-&-child-separating dangers. "There is a path, there is a practice, that leads to the abandoning and overcoming of these three mother-&-child-uniting dangers and these three mother-&-child-separating dangers. "And which is that path, which is that practice...? Just this very noble eightfold path, i.e., right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. "This is the path, this the practice, that leads to the abandoning and overcoming of these three mother-&-child-uniting dangers and these three mother-&-child-separating dangers."