The Second Noble Truth - “Samudaya"
The Truth of the Origin or the Cause of Suffering
According to the philosophy of Buddhism is the Second Noble Truth : "Samudaya", the truth of the origin or the cause of suffering. Buddhists also believe that the origin of suffering is `attachment'.
The Second Noble Truth invites us to understand the principle, that the origin of suffering is attachment to transient things and the ignorance thereof. Transient things do not only include the physical objects that surround us, but it also encompasses ideas, and, in a greater sense, all objects of our perception. Perhaps it could be said that ignorance is the lack of understanding of how our mind is attached to impermanent things. Some of the reasons for suffering are, desire, passion, pursuit of wealth and prestige, striving for fame and popularity, or in short: craving and grasping. We create our own suffering through our egotistical craving and desires. Because the objects of our attachment are impermanent their loss maybe inevitable and so suffering will follow.
The Second Noble Truth has three aspects of attachment to desires. These three types of desire are the desire for sensual pleasure (kama tanha), the desire to become (bhava tanha) and the desire to get rid of (vibhava tanha).
It is human nature to want more, more of what we like and to have better than what we have. This desire is not just for ourselves but for our children and the people we care about. It is in these desires that we can find the source of our suffering. We crave for the formation of states or realms of being that are not currently happening.
As human beings we believe that the way of happiness is through sensual pleasure. We have five senses which respond to the world and through which we enjoy a lot of pleasure. For example we obtain great pleasure from the taste of food, viewing lovely sights, the feeling of a sea breeze or sexual pleasures. It is said that trying to satisfy our craving for pleasant experiences is like drinking saltwater when thirsty: it only increases our thirst. Even by means of the sixth sense in Buddhism, there is great pleasure to be had in fantasies and mental states of excitement, infatuations and so on. Our technological society extends all types of ways to extend our sensual pleasure, from viewing and listening to DVD’s, CDs, TVs and many other high-tech options.
In this paper, I will be explaining how Siddhartha had arrived at the Four Noble Truths. The first paragraph contains how Siddhartha’s life was full of suffering, pain, and sorrow. The second paragraph will be the cause of suffering is the desire for things that are really illusions in Siddhartha’s life. Following, in the third paragraph I will be explaining how the only way to cure suffering is to overcome desire. Finally, I will be explaining that the only way to overcome desire is to follow the Eightfold Path.
Christianity believes in one God, which exists in three person; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Mankind was created to have relationship with God. Faith and believe in Jesus can save individual from happening sin and eternal death. Buddhism is a religion that does not include the idea of worshipping a creator god. Buddhism believes in path of practice and spiritual development direct to insight into the actual nature of reality. According to Buddhism nothing is eternal, every action have results and change is possible. Practicing meditation helps change in individual life and develops qualities of awareness, kindness and wisdom.
In the comparison with other class of Chinese faith , the study of Chinese Buddhism benefits. First, the International range of Buddhism allows for fruitful comparison with developments in other neighboring finish such as India and japan and the contemporary identicalness of Buddhism as a missionary. Buddhism is a way of breakthrough repose within oneself. It is a organized religion that helps us to find the happiness and contentment we seek. Buddhist develop inner peace, kindness and wisdom through their daily practice; and then share their experience with others delivery real number benefit to this humankind .They try not to injury others and to live
to state suffering as the entirety of the first noble truth, is not enough because the expression of
The Dhammapada speaks a universal truth, that “desire is unquenchable,” and explains that “he who wishes to awake, consumes his desires joyfully” (Chapter 14). These statements prove similar to the four noble truths, that to live is to suffer, and desire causes suffering; therefore, one cannot avoid temptation because it is ubiquitous. When explaining the outcomes of “craving pleasure or nursing pain,” the Buddha articulates that “there is only sorrow” (Chapter 16). Desire clearly only causes difficulty when attempting to achieve Nirvana, and the Dhammapada seeks to convey the importance of clearing the mind and purifying one’s thoughts. Continuing to contrast lust and happiness, the Buddha explains that “there is pleasure and there is bliss, forgo the first to possess the second” (Chapter 21). One cannot have genuine jubilation while yearnings and allurements cloud the mind. Expressed throughout Buddhist teachings and a main religious text, the action of overpowering desire and lewd thoughts proves a crucial step in eventually reaching
While to an atheist, the promise of a transcendental world, full of hope and supremacy may seem unrealistic. But to a Christian or Buddhist, this is a vision that both these beliefs share through their religious and spiritual literature. The literature that surrounds these religions involves the steps or rules one must achieve in order to attain the reward of a transcendental world, these being the Buddhist Four Noble Truths to achieve Nirvana and the Christian Ten Commandments to reach Heaven. The hope of achieving an idealistic world is the epitome of enduring life’s obstacles. It is human nature to strive for a goal in order to receive a reward. For Christians and Buddhists, this reward is created in sacred text to inspire people that by dedicating yourself to doing good deeds that you will reach a paradise.
In the Buddha’s first sermon, he laid out the four main ideas that he had been enlightened with; he called them the Four Noble Truths. 1) Everything in life is suffering and sorrow. 2) The cause of all suffering is people’s selfish desire for the temporary pleasures of this world. 3)
These types of desires are ones that we live for, they give us reasons for wanting to live and not die so that we can fulfill them. An example of a categorical desire would be that I want to spend time with my loved ones and my friends, and help people in suffering, ultimately I look forward to accomplishing these desires and it gives me a reason to continue to live and progress through life. Additionally, categorical (unconditional) desires are also things that keep our interest in living. Consequently, if I were to know that I would not be able to achieve my categorical desires my interest in life would substantially decrease (Jacobsen, p. 104). Further, if we are not capable of satisfying our categorical desires, death can be more reasonably seen as
Furthermore, even the happiest and carefree of people will eventually experience some kind of suffering. The Buddha taught people to recognize that suffering is part of life and that it cannot be avoided. However, this suffering does not only come from the body—it also comes from within. Those who experience loneliness, depression, anxiety, or cannot satisfy their needs and wants are suffering. Despite the negative aspects of suffering, Siddhartha also spoke of happiness through friendships, family life, or health. Though, the downfall to this is that happiness is impermanent—or annica—and will not end all suffering. Buddhists believe that the way to end suffering is to first accept the fact that suffering is a fact of life. The next aspect to recognize is what causes such suffering?
The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism capture ethos of the spirituality and its teachings. By just these four lessons, Buddha preaches the principles of tranquility within meditation of mere concentration. From these truths he developed a guidance referred to as the Eightfold Path, a series of principles that lead to awakening when practiced and understood. He preaches that inevitable suffering comes from desire, however he concludes with a solution to a life lived in nirvana. The first two of the Four Noble Truths are Dukha and Avidya, focusing on the primitive presence of suffering within day to day life. The other two are Nirodha and Magga, contributions to having faith that solvents for all suffering do exist and how it is accomplished. The combination of each understanding is a simple recipe to ultimate salvation, hence the contribution to development of self awareness and happiness within cultures across the map.
Rather than symptomatic of a ‘lack;’, I believe desire can in fact be a natural, positive energy – desire is production. As Guattari once observed , “we will only become revolutionary when we bring into play our ‘unconscious investments’ - when we reach the point where desire and machine become indistinguishable, where desire and contrivance are the same thing”(4).
The First Noble Truth is suffering or dukkha. This includes physical, emotional and mental forms of suffering but can also be interpreted more widely as a feeling of dissatisfaction'. (Hanh 43)
From the moment we are born we have the tendency of craving the worldly desires that we are exposed to. Its part of human nature to want an ideal life where you are either wealthy, powerful, happy or all of the above without any suffering involved. Although that ideal sounds phenomenal, it is the thought of limitation that drives many people to seek for something more than just worldly pleasures. As some stay within the lines of an insatiable life, others come to the realization that living a life with nothing but worldly pleasures and goals are ultimately not everlasting. This is the point where people go on to pursue something bigger than themselves, something that gives them a purpose and infinite joy or as most would call it, a religion. One of the most fascinating major world religions that many have chosen to follow for centuries is Buddhism. A very complex, yet intriguing religion that seeks for a way of life that ultimately releases a person from suffering and leads them to inner peace and joy.
Each higher order of motivational need is built upon a more basic need. After physiological and safety needs are met then the individual looks to belong and be accepted by peers and groups that they identify with. Once accepted, one looks to improve their self-esteem and garner the respect and esteem of their peers and the groups to which they belong. Finally an individual is driven by the need to become self-actualized, becoming all that one has the potential of becoming.
Every human being has needs. On the most basic level, humans are animals, all animals, and all organisms, for that matter, have needs that act as a ‘motivation’ to ascertain their survival. Henry Murray defined needs as “potentiality or readiness to respond in a certain way under certain given circumstances" (1938).One distinguishing feature between us and other organisms however, is that humans may also posses wants or ‘goals’ whereas animals do not. Wants do not occur until needs have been satisfied, animals, especially in the wild, do not know when to expect their next meal, so are in constant pursuit of food, this means their needs are never fully satisfied, so, according to Isidoro Martínez, wants cannot materialise. “Once material needs satisfied, we may discover some intangible needs, like being valued by others, and self-esteem” However, arguably, these ‘intangible needs’ may be better preponderantly described as emotional wants, as being valued is not a necessity for survival in the short term. As our population has grown, society has decided to lay out these needs and wants in the form of human rights, endeavouring to ensure that everyone is able to fulfil their needs and can work towards achieving their desires.