Life and teachings of the Buddha
The Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautama, was born around 2,500 years ago in Nepal. His teachings and understanding of the world around him are widely accepted as the foundations of Buddhism.
The Four Noble Truths
Many Buddhists consider the Four Noble Truths to be the main elements of the teachings of the Buddha. The Four Noble Truths are:
| Noble Truth | Buddhist word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| The truth of suffering | Dukkha | Accepting that all life is impermanent and imperfect, and that it involves suffering (frustration or dissatisfaction). |
| The truth of the origin of suffering | Samudaya | Knowing that there are things in life that cause suffering, for example desire, which is the need for things to be a certain way. |
| The truth of the end of suffering | Nirodha | Understanding that suffering can be ended if we detach ourselves from craving and desire. |
| The truth of the path to the end of suffering | Magga | Knowing that there is a way to end suffering: the Noble Eightfold Path. |
Many Buddhists believe that everything is the result of existing conditions (in other words, everything comes from something else). Therefore, something must cause suffering to exist and if the cause of suffering is removed, then the suffering will be stopped.
Buddhists believe that by working through the Four Noble Truths they can end suffering. The Buddha taught that the Noble Eightfold Path (magga), which is the fourth Noble Truth, is the way to end suffering. If a Buddhist can understand suffering and accept that it is possible to stop it, then they can look for the way to end it. This takes work and is not easy. However, by following the teachings of the Buddha, a Buddhist can ‘blow out’ (like a candle) the Three Poisons of greed, hatred and ignorance (the three things that perpetuate human suffering). In other words, when we let go of the destruction that craving causes, we allow our minds to be freed from unhappiness. This makes it possible to reach enlightenment.