Four Noble Truths

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A Look into Buddhism: The Four Noble Truths
Buddhism is a non-theistic religion created by a man name the “Enlightened One” or who is known as Buddha. His teachings led a movement of soul-searching and wisdom that started in India and now reaches all over the world. In The World’s Religions, Huston Smith takes time to interprets Buddha’s meanings for the Four Noble Truths while also giving his on take on the truths with giving several examples of others who can relate to Buddha’s work.
Huston Smiths describes the First Noble Truth as life equals pain. The way life is now holds “interpersonal conflict” within a person with no ability to be creative (Smith 96). The First Noble Truth includes six “moments in life” when people start feeling out of place and fearful. For example, the first moment is “trauma at birth” which brings anxiety with and after birthing, while the fourth moment is …show more content…

Tanha can equal to selfishness which explains how going after personal desires instead of desires for everyone (like the example of satisfying the ego that Smith uses) will cause more “pain” (98). The Third Noble Truth is simply “overcoming” selfishness (98). Smith states that “when we are selfless, we are free”, so the only the way to overcome is to let go of any egoistic ideas and desires to rid the pain which is practically the third truth (97,98). Lastly, the Fourth Noble Truth gives a detailed guide , or what is called the “ Eightfold Path”, to “overcoming tanha” or the pain inflicted by selfishness (98). This is technically training for life and include two distinct paths to living: the first is what Buddha calls “wandering about” or being pulled wherever life takes you; the second is what he calls the “Path”, or “intentionally” living the life you want (99). All of these subsets form the the Four Noble Truths according to Buddha’s teachings and Smith’s

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