FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
The Four Noble Truths are THE backbone of Buddhism, and accurately describes human existence and behavior.
In the most simple terms:
2. Distress is due to attachment;
3. Yet attachment can be overcome;
Further explanation for those who want details:
1. Dukkha exists. The nature of human condition is stress, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, despair, suffering, displeasing, anxiety when separation from what is pleasing, not getting what you want, aging, death, birth, illness, injury, feelings, perceptions, body, opinions, actions, consciousness, etc.
2) Samudaya- the origin of Dukkha- is DESIRE and ATTACHMENT and GREED and HATE and IGNORANCE and DELUSION. It is the CRAVING to survive, to die, to feel sensual pleasure of the body, to create an ego image and have it accepted, to control, to own things, and the CLINGING and ATTACHMENT to your personality and sense of self. We refuse to see the truth. The cognitive error- the big secret- the blinders- the reason we are stuck in a world of illusion and suffering is because the world and ourselves are actually impermanent (changing, and labels mean nothing) yet not separate, yet we “cling” to things, ideas, people, feelings, our egos and individuality, all in the useless effort to make things permanent (to keep things the way they are.)
3) Nirodha- The way out is to let go of this SKEWED attachment, hatred, and ignorance, and be aware (consciously and subconsciously) and have a full acceptance of being human, change, and the interconnectedness of all living things and the world.
4) The Noble Eightfold Path, also called the dharma and the Middle Way; right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. By practicing these, you gain self-awareness and develop a deep insight into the true nature of phenomena. Eventually the greed, hatred, and delusion will be snuffed out. This is the path to freedom, liberation, and the end of the cycle of suffering.
