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The four noble truths

The four noble truths of Cattari ariya saccani as they are referred in pali are as follows.
1. Dukkha ariya sacca the noble truth of suffering.
2. Dukkha samudaya ariya sacca the noble truth of the arising of suffering.
3. Dukkha nirodha ariya sacca the noble truth of cessation of suffering and
4. Dukkha nirodha-gamini-patipada ariya sacca the noble truth of the practice the
path leading to the cessation of suffering.
The uddha!s damma is aimed at e"plaining the pre#alence of dukkha and its
causation. The four noble truths deal with these two main points namely$ the problem of
dukkha and its cassation$ it is clearly seen that the first two truths $ dukkha sacca and
samudhaya ariya sacca deal with what dukkha is and how it is arises. The ne"t two truths%
nirodha sacca and magga sacca pertain to nibb&na that is freedom from dukkha and the
method of reali'ing (ibb&na.
These are four fundamental statements of the facts regarding the problems all worldly
being had to face as well as about their the situations. Thence it is called the heart of
uddhism. uddhist te"ts say that ignorance means the lack of knowledge regarding
these truths and wisdom is knowledge about them.
)n facts these are not four different truths but four different aspects of one
fundamental truth. This is the first noble namely dukkha ariya sacca. The
Dhammacakapa#attana sutta$ the first discourse preached by the uddha contains these
four noble truths. *ccording to this sutta the first truth is e"plained as follows.
irth is Dukkha$ decay is dukkha$ disease is dukkha$ death is dukkha to be +oined
with what is unpleasant is dukkha$ to be separated from what is pleasant is dukkha
.failure to get what are desired is dukkha$ grief$ sorrow$ lamentation despair are dukkha in
brief$ the fi#e aggregates of grasping are dukkha.
The second truth deals with what the cause of dukkha and herein Tanha or cra#ing is
gi#en as its cause. The third truth deals with the possibility of cessation if dukkha or the
relation of (ibb&na. The fourth truth lays down the path that leads to it. This is the (oble
,ightfold path the ariya attagikamagga.
The basic truth is dukkha$ the others three truths are different of it because they deal
with its arising and the path -magga. dealing to cessation. Thus is clear these four noble
truths contain the whole of the uddha!s teaching as e"plain in the early uddhism.
/ords 410

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