We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track. If this problem persists help us by reporting it so we can investigate it.
Regarder cet enseignement
Connectez-vous ou créez un compte gratuit afin de regarder cet enseignement et découvrir d'autres enseignements du Zen Maître Thich Nhat Hanh.
Se connecter ou créer un compte
Dharma Talk on the Four Noble Truths at Sarnath
The Four Noble Truths: The End of Suffering
At the site where the Buddha gave his first Dharma talk, Thầy presents a teaching on the subject of that talk—the Four Noble Truths. The First Noble Truth is the presence of duḥkha—suffering. We must acknowledge that suffering exists to understand it and heal it. The Second Noble Truth is samudaya—the cause of suffering. We must know the cause of suffering to prescribe the appropriate relief for it. Believing that suffering can be dispelled leads to the Third Noble Truth—nirodha. Nirodha is the absence of suffering. Thầy notes that nirodha is different than nirvana, which means not only the absence of suffering but a state of well-being and happiness. We all have the seeds of well-being and happiness within us, and these flourish when suffering is removed. The Fourth Nobel Truth is mārga, which represents the many paths for ending suffering.
The message of the Four Noble Truths is simple as taught by the Buddha, but over the centuries, it became distorted into the phrase, “Everything is duḥkha.” Of course, we must get in touch with suffering to arouse compassion in us, which, in turn, moves us to act to relieve suffering. But the Buddha made clear that there are also beauty, peace, and happiness in life.
Regarding the five skandhas—the five aggregates—the Buddha never said that the five aggregates are the cause of suffering. He said that clinging to any of these aggregates is what causes suffering. Reality is impermanent, and if we aren’t aware of this impermanence and try to cling to anything in our life, we suffer.
We may have heard that desire is at the root of suffering, and it’s been said that to abolish suffering, we must abolish desire. In this wrong view, desire is equated with the energy of life we have within us. However, eating when hungry or sleeping when we’re tired isn’t desire. These responses don’t cause us to suffer. The Buddha said that the root cause of all our suffering is ignorance of the true nature of reality.
Thầy points out that at its heart, the practice of Buddhism is the practice of mudita—joy. Bodhisattvas are joyful, and we must emphasize this understanding of Buddhism to banish the misunderstanding of the Buddha’s teaching as “everything is duḥkha.”
In closing, Thầy states: “There is no way to enlightenment. Enlightenment is the way. There is no way to joy. Joy is the way.”
This is a talk given during The Footsteps of the Buddha pilgrimage in the year 1988. Thầy offered this talk beside the Dhamek Stupa, Sarnath, India.
Walking Meditation to Dhongra Caves