The above ad and any pop-up windows are the result of the HOMEPAGE provider and
are not endorsed by me.
Mike's Homepage 
The First Noble Truth is the existence of suffering. Birth is suffering, growth, decay, and death are suffering. Sad it is to be joined with that which we dislike. Sadder still is the separation from that which we love, and painful is the craving for that which cannot be obtained.
The Second Noble Truth is the cause of suffering. The cause of suffering is lust. The surrounding world effects sensation and begets a craving thirst that clamors for immediate satisfaction. The illusion of self originates and manifests itself in a cleaving to things. The desire to live for the enjoyment of self entangles us in a net of sorrows. Pleasures are the bait and the result is pain.
The Third Noble Truth is the cessation of suffering. He who surrenders self will be free from lust. He no longer craves and the flames of desire find no material to feed upon, thus they are extinguished.
The Fourth Noble Truth is the Middle Path that leads to the cessation
of suffering. There is salvation for him whose self disappears before truth,
whose will is bent on what he ought to do, whose sole desire is the performance
of his duty. He who is wise will enter this path and make an end to suffering.
Eight steps on the Middle Path are:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Desire
Desire (thirst, lust, crave, cleave...) is
central to these Truths. In fact, all religions view desire as a fundamental
problem. But why? After all, desire is an instinctual life force, without which
we would die. Indeed, it's not a problem in nature. It's the
circumstances of civilization that make desire a problem. For example: desire
for high energy food (fats and carbohydrates) directs us to eat healthful food
in nature. Civilized man, however, refines fats and carbohydrates to make
pizza and then, urged on by desire, overeats.
As naked primates on the savanna, we lived simply with little to cling to but nature itself. By comparison, we now live a complex material based existence, i.e., civilization. Our march into civilization began with the stone axe and loin cloth in a desire to increase our security and comfort. Then, as our tools freed us from nature's dominion, our need for religion grew. Much of religion is our attempt to deal with the problematic side of civilization, like our estrangement from 'mother' nature.
Self
Clinging to things (objects and thoughts,
attractions and aversions...) helps make up our conception of self. Such
clinging lures us with a promise of security and comfort; the desires for which
arise from the primal survival instinct. This self-centric experience feels so
real that it's difficult to realize our deepest nature. Our illusionary
self excels in rationalizing its desires and expectations - and this blinds us
to the obvious truth.
Truth (Dharma)
Truth is the nature of things,
how things are - not how we think they are (or should be). Here, Buddha's Truths
imply a basic human phenomenon. The deeper we understand this, the deeper we'll
know our true nature and what we ought to do. A mystery to bear in mind,
to paraphrase the Tao Te Ching: The nature that can be spoken of, is
not the constant nature.
Duty
Ultimately, duty is simply doing what we ought
to do - practice the Truth. However, we get so confused by conflicting desires
that we can't do, this. The more we sort out and simplify our priorities
(desires), the easier it is to accept our true nature and what we ought
to do. Then contentment is possible.
The Eight Steps
Half of the eight steps above relate
directly to the mind. Our perceptions determine how we react to life's
circumstances. So obviously Right Understanding is a critical first step. For
example, if we understand through the Second Noble Truth, that buying things
won't bring contentment, we are less likely to go into debt for them. Next, we
need Right Mindedness to keep us mindful of what we understand... and so on.
Also, what does Right mean? Right is what lies between the extremes, i.e., the Middle Path. It doesn't carry the same moral weight as 'right' does in the Judeo-Christian sense. Right refers to that which works. For example, the Right way to open a jar of pickles is counter-clockwise. To do other wise is a dead end. However, we usually need to do it "wrong" first in order to realize what's Right, i.e., make mistakes. Sorting out this Right way from the other ways is our life's journey.
Do you hold on to past grudges, silently stewing for years as you plot your revenge? Or maybe you constantly replay past mistakes in your mind, while harshly berating yourself. Stop it. Our minds and bodies are intricately connected in ways we are only beginning to understand, and recent studies have shown that holding on to negative emotions like anger, guilt or fear is detrimental to physical and mental health, leaving us susceptible to a variety of ailments such as depression and even heart disease. So learn from your past and then let it go -- you'll be wiser and healthier for it.