Dukkha (suffering) is an innate characteristic of transient existence; nothing is permanent, and that is suffering. The first truth, suffering, is an impermanent characteristic of existence in the realm of continuous rebirth, called samsara (wandering). The first noble truth is the right understanding that our life is impermanent, full of unavoidable sufferings, and it continues in the form of reincarnation. The two of many sufferings are one, you leaving someone you love; the other, meeting someone you hate.
Samudaya (cause of suffering): together with this transient world and its suffering, there is also thirst, craving for, and attachment to this transient, unsatisfactory existence. To end suffering, the four noble truths tell us, one needs to know how and why suffering arises. The second noble truth explains that suffering arises because of craving, desire, and attachment. Samudaya means "arising" and refers to the causes of suffering. At the bottom of these cravings, wants, and desires is the ever-present ego, the mistaken identity of oneself.
Nirodha (severance of suffering): the attachment to this transient world and its suffering can be severed or contained by the controlling or letting go of this craving. If the cause of suffering is desire and attachment to various transient things, then the way to end suffering is to eliminate such craving, desire, and attachment. Nirodha is a Sanskrit word that means "cessation" or "extinction". It is the third of the Four Noble Truths.
The fourth truth, marga means "path" or "way." It means the way to extinguish suffering. Marga refers to the path to liberation, also known as awakening. The most well-known path is the Noble Eightfold Path, which is one of several paths described in the Sutta Pitaka.
The Noble Eightfold Path is made up of eight steps:
- Right View (sammā diṭṭhi, S. samyag-dṛṣṭi)
- Right Resolve (sammā saṅkappa, S. samyak-saṃkalpa)
- Right Speech (sammā vācā, S. samyag-vāc)
- Right Action (sammā kammanta, S. samyak-karmānta)
- Right Livelihood (sammā ājīva, S. samyag-ājīva)
- Right Effort (sammā vāyāma, S. samyag-vyāyāma)
- Right Mindfulness (sammā sati, S. samyak-smṛti)
- Right Concentration (sammā samādhi, S. samyak-samādhi)
The goal of the marga is to end suffering by uprooting ignorance. This is done by cultivating awareness and attention in the present moment, and by developing virtue and abandoning non-virtue.
In essence, the Eightfold Path is a practical guide for living a life of ethical conduct, mental discipline, and wisdom, ultimately leading to the cessation of suffering and the attainment of enlightenment.
1. Right View
Sammā diṭṭhi, Right View, is a way to see reality as it is, without confusion or misunderstanding. It is a means to gain insight into the four noble truths. It is a way to see things in their true nature, without labels or names. It is a way to see the impermanence, selflessness, and inevitability of suffering.
2. Right Resolve
Right resolve, sammā saṅkappa, is the second step of the path, is the outcome of right understanding. These two comprise the wisdom spoken of in the context of the noble eightfold path. Right thought is the result of seeing things as they are. Thoughts are all important; for a man‘s words and acts have thoughts as their source. It is thoughts that are translated into speech and deed. The good or ill results of our words and actions depend solely on our thoughts, on the way we think. Hence the importance of learning to think straight instead of twisted.
3. Right Speech: samma vaca
"It is spoken at the right time. It is spoken in truth. It is spoken affectionately. It is spoken beneficially. It is spoken with a mind of good-will.".
4. Right Action
Samma kammanta is a Buddhist term that means "right action". It is one of the eight practices of the Noble Eightfold Path.
No killing or injuring, no taking what is not given, no sexual misconduct, no material desires.
5. Right Livelihood
No trading in weapons, living beings (human trafficking for sexual exploitation, illegal adoption, organ harvesting, or other criminal purposes), liquor (drug trafficking), or poisons (murders via medical inducements, inventing and dispersing deadly viruses and problematic vaccines for profit), or financial or religious frauds abusing victims' trust and vulnerability.
Choose your profession or, even more importantly, your employment wisely. Do not get involved in a usury or predatory lending business where you create or add more suffering to others. Do not be a law person or psychiatrist who protects criminals for profit or sends innocents to an insane asylum or to incarceration. Do not be medical doctors or health professionals whose primary professional objective is not curing but hurting their patients or victims for profits.
Do not become scientists of destruction or hate. Do not become politicians or government employees who betray public trust, people who elected them, and pay their salaries.
Never commit any kind of fraud, because the frauds can only occur with betrayal of trusts of victims. There are no greater sins or crimes than frauds. Don't make a living by lying or deceiving others. Don't make any kind of living by adding more suffering to others.The karma retribution of such crimes will be most severe.
6. Right Effort
Right Effort, samma vayama, involves trying to prevent unwholesome states of mind, such as anger, jealousy, and craving. It also involves trying to get rid of these states of mind that have already arisen.
7. Right Mindfulness
Right Mindfulness is associated with becoming more attentive to our thoughts, emotions, feelings, speech, and behavior in meditation. Whatever we experience, we become more conscious of it and more attentive to it, so that we gain more insight into the workings of the mind and how the mind influences our actions in everyday life.
8. Right Concentration
Any singleness of mind equipped with these seven factors — right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, and right mindfulness.
