The Buddha considered suffering (dukkha) to be a part of the human condition; this suffering is akin to a sickness. In order to cure the sickness that is part of human suffering, basic Buddhism prescribes the “Four Noble Truths” as a cure (Gethin 163). First, in order to be cured one must accept that life is about suffering. Dukkha (suffering) comes in the form of physical pain as well as mental anguish. Because human life is constantly subject to change and because change causes suffering, the very awareness of life’s instability and impermanence is a constant source of anxiety to humans. Second, humans must accept the fact that suffering is caused by the desire for things to be different than they are in reality. Desires, cravings, and the grasping nature of humans causes them to suffer. Once humans accept the fact that change and suffering is constant, and that anything they can grab they can only hope to hold temporarily, their suffering will ease. The only thing to be gained from constantly grasping for more is frustration, which in turn leads to more suffering. Third, once a person has come to accept the first two noble truths, they can be comforted by the knowledge that they have the power to release themselves from his constant suffering. By accepting that life is impermanent and stepping away from ego-driven grasping behavior, humans can go a long way toward curing themselves of this illness and suffering. Fourth, Buddha encouraged people to study the “Noble Eightfold Path” as a way of learning the skills needed to free oneself from the endless cycle of craving and suffering (Gethin 164). By behaving in an ethical way, learning to know oneself as part of the universe, and to understand the consequences of ones actions, a human can be cured of the illness inherent in the human condition.
Reference
Gethin, Rupert. Foundations of Buddhism. Oxford, GB: Oxford Paperbacks, 2014. Print.
