The first teaching of the Buddha - The 4 noble truth | Dhammacakkapavattana sutta | What is Buddhism "Listen, monks, the Deathless has been discovered!"
One of the most significant occasions in the Life of the Buddha is his first discourse: The discourse on setting in motion the Dhamma-Wheel (Dhammacakkapavattana sutta, Connected Discourses of the Buddha/Samyutta Nikaya 56:11), where explains the four noble truth and the noble eightfold path to awakening for the first time.
After the Buddha sees that there are beings who are capable to understand him, he makes the momentous decision to teach the path to awakening that he found himself to others out of compassion, which influenced the lives of billions of people in the last 2500 years.
He surveys the world and sees that the most receptive people who can realize awakening quickly are the group of five monks who were his previous companions when he was practicing ascetic practices. The Buddha teaches the group of five monk in the deer park of Isipatana near Varanasi the noble truth of suffering, the noble truth of the origin of suffering, the noble truth of the cessation of suffering and the noble truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering, to liberation, Nibbana.
In these four noble truth the Buddha explains what he realized by his awakening and the path of practice that can lead others to realize awakening as well. It is "The teaching unique to the awakened ones".
The structure of the four noble truth is very similar to approach of a doctor treating someone:
What are the symptoms? What does the sick person experience? What is the cause of the sickness? How can the sickness be cured? Prescribe treatment.
Or like problem solving strategy: What is the problem/issue? What is the cause of the problem? What is the solution? What can be done to arrive at the solution? It is a very practical approach that leads to cessation of suffering and to a happiness and peace not dependent on conditions - The Deathless, Nibbana.
A short quote of the beginning of his discourse:
Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Bārāṇasī in the Deer Park at Isipatana. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus of the group of five thus:
“Bhikkhus, these two extremes should not be followed by one who has
gone forth into homelessness. What two? The pursuit of sensual happiness in sensual pleasures, which is low, vulgar, the way of worldlings, ignoble, unbeneficial; and the pursuit of self-mortification, which is painful, ignoble, unbeneficial. Without veering towards either of these extremes, the Tathāgata has awakened to the middle way, which gives rise to vision, which gives rise to knowledge, which leads to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna.
And what, bhikkhus, is that middle way awakened to by the Tathāgata,
which gives rise to vision … which leads to Nibbāna? It is this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration...
Now this, bhikkhus, is the noble truth of suffering: birth is suffering,
aging is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering; union with what is displeasing is suffering; separation from what is pleasing is suffering; not to get what one wants is suffering; in brief, the five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering.
Now this, bhikkhus, is the noble truth of the origin of suffering: it is this
craving which leads to renewed existence, accompanied by delight and lust, seeking delight here and there; that is, craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence, craving for extermination.
Now this, bhikkhus, is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering: it is
the remainderless fading away and cessation of that same craving, the giving up and relinquishing of it, freedom from it, nonreliance on it.
Now this, bhikkhus, is the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering: it is this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration."
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