This particular webpage that you are now reading has a lot to do with self-examination, and so it should go well with Step One ("We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.")1 and Step Four ("Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.")2 of the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. But it also is intended here as a preliminary to actually getting into the eight practices of The Noble Eightfold Path.
Recall that The Four Noble Truths are in the the format of a diagnosis and prescription:
- Statement of the problem: There is suffering.
- Statement of the cause: Craving is the cause of the suffering.
- Prognosis: The suffering can be eliminated by removing the craving.
- Prescription: To remove the craving, engage in the practices of The Noble Eightfold Path: (1) Right View, (2) Right Intention, (3) Right Speech, (4) Right Action, (5) Right Livelihood, (6) Right Effort, (7) Right Mindfulness, and (8) Right Concentration.
In the Buddhist scripture known as the Discourse of the Turning of the Wheel of the Dharma, the historical Buddha gives his first sermon and presents the Four Noble Truths. In the Pali version —the Dhammachakkappavattana (or Dhammachakka for short)— still embraced today by the Theravada tradition, the Buddha talks about each Noble Truth having three aspects. There are three aspects for each of The Four Noble Truths. Then there is a total of twelve aspects for the whole of The Four Noble Truths. Here is an English translation of that passage in the Dhammachakka:3
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"'There is this noble truth of suffering': such was the insight, the knowledge, the understanding, the vision, the light, that arose in me about things not heard before. 'This noble truth should be penetrated to by fully comprehending suffering': such was the insight, the knowledge, the understanding, the vision, the light, that arose in me about things not heard before. 'This noble truth has been penetrated to by fully comprehending suffering': such was the insight, the knowledge, the understanding, the vision, the light, that arose in me about things not heard before.
"'There is this noble truth of the origin of suffering': such was the insight, the knowledge, the understanding, the vision, the light, that arose in me about things not heard before. 'This noble truth should be penetrated to by abandoning the origin of suffering': such was the insight, the knowledge, the understanding, the vision, the light, that arose in me about things not heard before. 'This noble truth has been penetrated to by abandoning the origin of suffering': such was the might, the knowledge, the understanding, the vision, the light, that arose in me about things not heard before. "'There is this noble truth of the cessation of suffering': such was the insight, the knowledge, the understanding, the vision, the light, hat arose in me about things not heard before. 'This noble truth should be penetrated to by realizing the cessation of suffering': such was the insight, the knowledge the understanding, the vision, the insight, that arose in me about things not heard before. This noble truth has been penetrated to by realizing the cessation of suffering': such was the insight, the knowledge, the understanding, the vision, the light, that arose in me about things not heard before."'There is this noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering': such was the insight, the knowledge, the understanding, the vision, the light, that arose in me about things not heard before. 'This noble truth should be penetrated to by developing the way leading to the cessation of suffering': such was the insight, the knowledge, the understanding, the vision, the light, that arose in me about things not heard before. 'This noble truth has been penetrated to by developing the way leading to the cessation of suffering': such was the insight, the knowledge, the understand suffering': such was the insight, the knowledge, the understanding, the vision, the light, that rose in me about things not heard before." |
It is clarifying to outline the passage as follows:
| 1.a. 'There is this noble truth of suffering.'
1.b. 'This noble truth should be penetrated to by fully comprehending suffering.' 1.c. 'This noble truth has been penetrated to by fully comprehending suffering.' |
| 2.a. 'There is this noble truth of the cessation of suffering.'
2.b. 'This noble truth should be penetrated to by abandoning the origin of suffering.' 2.c. 'This noble truth has been penetrated to by abandoning the origin of suffering.' |
| 3.a. 'There is this noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering.'
3.b. 'This noble truth should be penetrated to by developing the way leading to the cessation of suffering.' 3.c. 'This noble truth has been penetrated to by developing the way leading to the cessation of suffering.' |
In the Pali Dhammachakka, Buddha also says in his sermon:4
| "'As long as, 0 Bhikkhus, the absolute true knowledge regarding these four Noble Truths under their three aspects and twelve modes was not perfectly clear to me, so long did I not acknowledge, in this world, together with gods, Maras, and Brahmas, amongst the hosts of ascetics and priests, gods and men, that I had gained the Incomparable, Supreme Enlightenment.'" |
This last translation is from Manual of Buddhism by Narada. In a note to this, he gives the following explanations of the "three aspects" and the "twelve modes":5
| "The three aspects are the knowledge of the Truths (Sacca Nana), the knowledge as regards the function of the Truths (Kicca Nana), and the knowledge that the function has been accomplished (Kata Nana). Each Truth consists of these three aspects. Thus the four truths consist of twelve modes." |
Referring to this structure, Thich Nhat Hanh, in a chapter titled "Touching Our Suffering" in his book The Heart of Buddha's Teachings, names the three aspects as "Recognition", "Encouragement", and "Realization".6 Adopting this too, we have:
| THE THREE ASPECTS OF A NOBLE TRUTH | |||
| SCRIPTURAL NAME (Pali) |
SCRIPTURAL NAME (English) |
PRACTICAL NAME (English) |
|
| a. | Sacca Nana | Knowledge of the Truth | Recognition |
| b. | Kicca Nana | Knowledge of the Function of the Truth |
Encouragement |
| c. | Kata Nana | Knowledge that the Function Has Been Accomplished |
Realization |
In the table above, I placed the label "practical name" for the names chosen by Thich Nhat Hanh for the aspects because these names appeal to the notion of putting these aspects into practice in one's personal daily life. He also uses the labels "Cessation of Suffering: Well-Being", etc., as they are used in the table. (The table is similar to the table on page 30 of his book, The Heart of Buddha's Teachings.
| THE TWELVE MODES OF THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS | |
| Noble Truth | Mode |
| Suffering | Recognition: This is suffering. |
| Encouragement: This suffering should be understood. | |
| Realization: This suffering is understood. | |
| Arising of suffering | Recognition: There is an ignoble way that has led to this suffering. |
| Encouragement: That ignoble way should be understood. | |
| Realization: That ignoble way is understood. | |
|
Cessation of this suffering (well-being) |
Recognition: Well-being is possible. |
| Encouragement: Well-being should be obtained. | |
| Realization: Well-being is attained. | |
| How well-being arises | Recognition: There is a noble path that leads to well-being. |
| Encouragement: This noble path has to be lived. | |
| Realization: This noble path is being lived. | |
Note: Thich Nhat Hanh in his book The Heart of Buddha's Teachings calls each of these twelve modes a "Turning of the Wheel of the Dharma" (or, for short, a "Turning of the Wheel"). So he speaks of "The Twelve Turnings of the Wheel of the Dharma" in this context. I am not using this terminology here because, in Mahayana Buddhism, it is much more common to speak of "The Three Turnings of the Wheel of the Dharma" in the context where "The First Turning of the Wheel" is Buddha's revelation of The Four Noble Truths, "The Second Turning of the Wheel" is Buddha's teachings about Emptiness in the Prajnaparamita sutras (including the Diamond Sutra and the Heart Sutra), and The Third Turning of the Wheel is Buddha's teachings about Buddha Nature (Tathagatagarbha) in certain other Mahayana sutras including the Tathagatagharba Sutra, the Srimaladevi Sutra, the Mahaparanirvana Sutra, the Avatamsaka Sutra, and the Lankavatara Sutra.7 |
We can now elaborate more on the process of following through on these aspects.
| 1. a. First Noble Truth/Recognition—"This is suffering." Here we recognize and acknowledge to ourselves that we are experiencing some kind of suffering. It could be pain, discontent, unhappiness, sorrow, affliction, anxiety, dissatisfaction, discomfort, anguish, stress, misery, frustration, or any other kind of ill feeling. To not do so would be a form of denial.8
1. b. First Noble Truth/Encouragement—"This suffering should be understood." Here we resolve to become fully aware of exactly what our suffering is.9 1. c. First Noble Truth/Realization—"This suffering is understood." We become fully aware of the nature of our suffering. We have stopped running away from our suffering. We can call our suffering by its specific name and identify its characteristics.102. a. Second Noble Truth/Recognition—"There is an ignoble way that has led to this suffering." We acknowledge that this suffering must be the result of some past actions. We look deeply into our suffering to see what kinds of nutriments we have been feeding it. Such nutriments may include consumable substances (food, candy, tobacco smoke, intoxicants, etc.), sense impressions (from bodily contact, from movies, television programs, computer games, photographs, etc.), memories (recollections associated with resentments, recollections of painful experiences, etc.), etc.11 2. b. Second Noble Truth/Encouragement—"That ignoble way should be understood." We see clearly that real happiness is possible if we stop ingesting the kinds of nutriments that feed our suffering. We vow to do things in ways that are healthier.122. c. Second Noble Truth/Realization—"That ignoble way is understood." We actually stop ingesting the nutriments that feed our suffering.13 3. a. Third Noble Truth/Recognition—"Well-being is possible." We recognize the possibility of the absence of suffering and the presence of peace. If we do not have peace and enjoyment at this moment, we can at least remember some peace and enjoyment in the past or observe peace and enjoyment in others.143. b. Third Noble Truth/Encouragement—"Well-being should be attained." We resolve to face our difficulties and grow new happiness. We begin to touch deeply the things that bring real peace and joy. We begin to realize that suffering is not worth suffering for. We begin to touch our suffering and our joy becomes deeper. We begin transform our suffering into joy. We know that both suffering and joy are impermanent.15 3. c. Third Noble Truth/Realization—"Well-being is attained." We realize that both suffering and joy are impermanent. We realize that suffering and happiness are not two.164. a. Fourth Noble Truth/Recognition—"There is a noble path that leads to well-being." We recognize that the Noble Eightfold Path is the way out of suffering. We do not yet know how to practice it. But we can to learn about it.17 4. b. Fourth Noble Truth/Encouragement—"This noble path has to be lived." We see that the Noble Eightfold Pathhas everything to do with our difficulties in life. We encourage ourselves to practice this path. We do whatever we can to learn this path and we practice what we learn. We find that the more we practice it, the more we learn about it, and vise versa.184. c. Fourth Noble Truth/Realization—"This noble path is being lived." The Noble Eightfold Path is truly the way we live. Our lives are filled with joy, ease, and wonder.19 |
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At the end of the chapter titled "Right Livelihood" in his book The Heart of Buddha's Teaching, Thich Nhat Hanh gives another insightful overview of the practice of the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path:20
| "As we study and practice the Noble Eightfold Path, we see that each element of the path is contained within all the other seven elements. We also see that each element of the path contains the Noble Truths of suffering, the making of suffering, and the ending of suffering.
"Practicing the First Noble Truth, we recognize our suffering and call it by its name - depression, anxiety, fear, or insecurity. Then we look directly into that suffering to discover its basis, and that is practicing the Second Noble Truth. These two practices contain the first two elements of the Noble Eightfold Path, namely, Right View and Right Thinking. All of us have a tendency to run away from suffering, but now with the practice of the Noble Eightfold Path we have the courage to face our suffering directly. We use Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration to look courageously at our suffering. The looking deeply that shows us clearly the basis of our suffering is Right View. Right View will not show just one reason for our suffering, but layers upon layers of causes and conditions: seeds we have inherited from our parents, grandparents, and ancestors; seeds in us that have been watered by our friends. And the economic and political situations of our country; and so many other causes and conditions. "Now the time has come to do something to lessen our suffering. Once we know what is feeding our suffering, we find a way to cease ingesting that nutriment, whether it is edible food, the food of sense-impression, the food we receive from our intentions, or the food from our consciousness. We do is by practicing Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livehood, remembering that Right Speech is also listening deeply. To practice these three aspects, we take the Mindfulness Trainings as our guide. Practicing according to the Mindfulness Trainings, we see that when we speak, act, or earn our living, we do it with Right Mindfulness. Right Mindfulness lets us know when we say something that is not Right Speech, or do something that is not Right Action. Once Right Mindfulness is practiced along with Right Diligence, Right Concentration will follow easily and give rise to insight or Right View. In fact, it is not possible to practice one element of the Noble Eightfold Path without practicing all seven other elements. This is the nature of interbeing, and it is true for all of the teachings allowed by the Buddha." |