After Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment, he gave a talk at Sarnath, near Varanasi. The audience was a group of five ascetics with whom the Buddha had been practising severe austerities in search of enlightenment. This talk has a very important place in Buddhism and is known as hammacakkappavattana Sutta or ‘The Setting in Motion of the Wheel of the Dhamma Sutta’. In this talk, the Buddha laid down the four noble truths that he had realised. These became the blueprint for Buddhist practices later.
The first truth is dukkha—suffering. It is present everywhere in everyone’s life—birth is suffering, ageing is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering, getting what is undesirable is suffering, not getting what is desirable is suffering, losing what is desirable is suffering. As we look deeper into suffering, we will gain more understanding of not just our struggles but that of others too. We will be able to see how everyone is struggling with suffering. This will reduce our prejudices and make us more empathetic.
The second truth is the origin of suffering. Desire and craving are the root causes of suffering. These lead one into repeated rebirths. Understanding the nature and cause of suffering is important because we cannot decide on the right treatment until we realise that we are ill and understand the illness properly.
The third truth is the ending of suffering. It is possible to end suffering by getting rid of desires. When we read books or listen to a wise teacher or contemplate or meditate, we gain insight into our attachments and desires.
The fourth truth is the way leading to the end of suffering. This is the eight-fold path described by the Buddha consisting of right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.
The four noble truths tap into a basic human need—to live a life free from suffering. We all wish to expand our limited existence into a happier and freer one. However, we do not know the way to achieve this. The Buddha taught that each of the four noble truths is to be approached differently.
The first noble truth needs to be understood; the second needs to be abandoned; the third needs to be realised; and the fourth needs to be developed. Due to the constant mention of suffering in the truths, some people think that Buddhism is a pessimistic religion, but the truth is that Buddhism is neither pessimistic nor optimistic; it is realistic. The Buddha was never melancholic. He was described by his companions as ‘ever smiling’ and if we follow the four noble truths, we can be like him too.