four-noble-truths
The first noble truth is the most confusing and misinterpreted of the set of the four-noble-truths. The first noble truth is just one single word: suffering. It is actually in pali: dukkha. The English translation is the word suffering. The word suffering within the context of English is a word that is a verb. Verbs always work in relation to another abstract object. So for instance with the word suffering, you immediately ponder, what is suffering? The word 'suffering' is always applied as a linking-verb to some other word or notion. So in a logical chain, a linking verb only comes into effect as a secondary word that effects a prior word. So to then think of looking at the word 'suffering' in a isolated context, by definition of a linking-verb, it depends upon some hypothetical concrete word to modify. Since we are examining the word 'suffering' without some concrete word it is designed to modify, the very definition of the word itself becomes shrouded in obscurity. This darkness is what I refer to as the climate of abstraction. Abstraction does not contain fixed objective shape nor definitive visibility, it is simply a realm of free floating unconstrained meaning or form. This realm seems very fitting to them place our unconstrained term 'suffering' within. So what does the first rule, suffering, entail? It is just stating that any conscious entity possesses some form of a biological detector that consistently notifies one in the instance that painful conditions are present. To define this even more precisely, this notification system is always active within a conscious being, much like how thought is always occurring within a conscious being. To restate the first truth using a few more words: there is suffering.
The second noble truth is a bit less abstract and tricky: the cause of suffering. To hit the ground running immediately with this, the cause is just stated to be due to craving, grasping, yearning, or reaching. To continue to pester or notify yourself that you have yet to reach the conditions to terminate the suffering notification. For example, lets say you really crave a drink of water. The notification system that is going to pester a person is that of thirst. How does one cease the notification of thirst? To get a refreshing beverage. Lets say that a refreshing beverage is not available. The continual rumination upon the notion of a desirable beverage quenching ones thirst is the cause of the notification system of suffering.
The third noble truth is: there is a end to suffering. The complete cessation to the suffering notification. I am going to reference a little example that really illustrates the endpoint to the suffering notification. How perhaps can one always get what one wants? The only way is to never want anything. The absolute practice of never wanting anything begins with the objective of keeping ones mind fixed upon the notion of restraining ones mind to never venture into wanting things outside of itself. So if you begin with restraining your mind in this way, that immediately means that ones mind contains everything that will ever be available for the process of wanting. If the initial container, the mind, already contains everything possible that wanting could try to grab, then it appears that the mind already has grasped those things in which it seeks! So the suffering notification never gets activated because the application of wanting is never engaged to go grasping or clinging to whatever is the objective of wanting. To conclude, the end of the suffering notification is to never engage in craving, wanting, or yearning for what one does not already posses.
The fourth and final noble truth, there is a path to follow in this journey of ending suffering. The eight noble-fold path taught by Siddhartha Gautama, otherwise known as the Buddha, which is composed of eight parts: Right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right diligence, right mindfulness, and right concentration. This path leads to the ultimate destination of Nirvana, which is a spiritual point that consists of the end of enduring suffering that we are continually directed into by our previous karmic inertia that binds one to the notification system of suffering.
Cheers!
周培森