The Artistry Behind Preaching the Four Noble Truths

In the Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta as in his other sermons, the Lord Buddha explains not only Dhamma subjects, but the relationship between them too. Even when treating the 'rim of the wheel' (i.e. The Four Noble Truths), when the Lord Buddha teaches the 'Noble Truth of Suffering', his explanation includes implications which touch upon the 'Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering', the 'Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering' and the 'Noble Eightfold Path'. When the Lord Buddha teaches the 'Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering', his explanation includes implications which touch upon the 'Noble Truth of the Suffering', the 'Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering' and the 'Noble Eightfold Path'. When the Lord Buddha teaches the 'Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering', his explanation includes implications which touch upon the 'Noble Truth of the Suffering', the 'Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering' and the 'Noble Eightfold Path'. When the Lord Buddha teaches the 'Noble Eightfold Path', his explanation includes implications which touch upon the 'Noble Truth of the Suffering', the 'Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering' and the 'Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering'. In brief, the artistry of the Lord Buddha is to integrate all four Noble Truths in his explanations.

1. Explanation of the Noble Truth of Suffering
The Lord Buddha's explanation of suffering includes all four of suffering's implications in the light of the Four Noble Truths:

1.1. Suffering as bringing misery
1.2. Suffering as conditioning
1.3. Suffering as an affliction
1.4. Suffering as decay

1.1. Suffering as bringing misery
This is the direct explanation of the Noble Truth of Suffering - explained from the point of view of bringing misery. From this point of view, suffering has twelve characteristics:

1.1.1 Birth [jaati]: This form of suffering is unavoidable for all still caught in the cycle of existence.

1.1.2 Aging [jaraa]: This form of suffering has the characteristic of deterioration of the bodily organs and faculties.

1.1.3 Illness [byaadi]: This form of suffering has the characteristic of coming from loss of good health, which makes one suffer in various ways.

1.1.4 Death [mara.na]: This form of suffering has the characteristic of bringing one to the end of one's life.

1.1.5 Sorrow [soka]: This form of suffering is of the characteristic of being afflicting one with 'burning in one's heart', anxiety, dry-mindedness - as if you have a huge weight on your chest or blocking the normal function of your chest.

1.1.6 Lamentation [parideva]: This is suffering that drives you to tears.

1.1.7 Pain [dukkha]: This is suffering that makes the mind depressed and dejected.

1.1.8 Feeling slighted [domanassa]: This is when one has a 'chip on one's shoulder' (to be aggressively sensitive about a particular thing or bear a grudge).

1.1.9 Bemoaning [upaayaassa]: This is the suffering that causes you to bemoan something missed.

1.1.10 Exposure to hateful things [apiyehi sampayoga]: This is the suffering that causes cloudedness, grief, melancholy and heart-break as the result of coming into contact with things to which we are averse.

1.1.11 Separation from loved ones and treasured things [piyehi vipayoga]: This is the suffering arising when one is separated from the beings and mental formations we love.

1.1.12 Disappointment [yam piccha.m na labhati]: This is the suffering with the character of non-fulfilment of wishes when one is not gratified in the things one was hoping for.

These twelve different sorts of suffering are of the nature to bring misery to all living beings. The only certain thing in the life of every living being is that one will have to encounter the misery of suffering at some time in one's life. There is no-one who can evade the misery of suffering. For all of these reasons, the Lord Buddha taught us that suffering is of the nature to bring misery.

1.2. Suffering as conditioning

This second characteristic of suffering demonstrates the inter-relation with the second Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering. The Lord Buddha taught that suffering only arises because it is conditioned to arise by craving. There is nothing more directly responsible for the arising of suffering than craving.

1.3. Suffering as an affliction

This third meaning of suffering shows the direct inter-relation with the fourth Noble Truth of the Path of Practice for an end of suffering. That suffering is an affliction, in the same way that patients continue to suffer from illnesses they make no effort to heal, suffering continues to ail those who are still reckless and make no effort to practise the Eightfold Path for an end of suffering. If living beings made the effort to practise the Noble Eightfold Path, they could effectively remove themselves from the clutches of suffering.

1.4. Suffering from the point of view of decay

This fourth meaning of suffering is intended by the Buddha to show the direct inter-relation between suffering and the cessation of suffering. The Buddha shows his objective to inform living beings that the suffering which brings them misery from the moment they are born will continue for as long as those living beings have not attained cessation [nirodha] of suffering, better known by the word 'Nirvana'. Whosoever is well-developed in their Perfections and in their wisdom will be able to attain the Noble Paths and Fruits of Enlightenment and finally attain Nirvana. Those who have become united with Nirvana, will finally cast off the shackles of suffering once and for all and will be left in happiness for eternity. Deterioration and decay that are the characteristics of all things still within the clutches of suffering, will be transcended. This is the reason why in this fourth explanation of the characteristic of suffering, the Buddha pointed clearly to suffering's inter-relation with the extinction of suffering.

2. Explanation of the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering

The Lord Buddha's explanation of the Origin of Suffering includes all four of the Origin of Suffering's implications in the light of the Four Noble Truths:

2.1. The Origin of Suffering as compiled
2.2. The Origin of Suffering as a cause
2.3. The Origin of Suffering as a controller
2.4. The Origin of Suffering as an anxiety

2.1 The Origin of Suffering as Compiled
This is the direct explanation of the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering. It implicates craving as the universal initiator and the elaborator of Suffering with all living beings as its victims. Craving itself can be divided into two sorts:

2.1.1 Self-centred craving [attatthata.nhaa]: The craving for advantages for oneself in terms of possessions and retinue.

2.1.2. Retinue-centred craving [paratthata.nha]: The craving for advantages for those who are close to oneself, such as one's wife and children.
If one is unfulfilled in either or both of these two forms of craving, then one will suffer from continuous misery. Even if one gets everything one wants, it is never as quick as one wants, bringing one disappointment, anxiety and confusion - and it is the same for every sort of living being in the Three Planes of Existence. All have craving at the root of the suffering they experience. Even the smallest of animals has to eke out advantages for itself and its nearest and dearest, in spite of the intervening dangers. The resulting outcome is always suffering. Thus craving is at the root of every form of suffering.

2.2 The Origin of Suffering as a Cause

In explaining the Origin of Suffering, the Buddha intended to make clear that the suffering experienced by living beings has craving as its cause. As soon as there is craving, then the repercussion is suffering, from the suffering of birth onwards. Furthermore, the Lord Buddha wished to underline the inter-relation between the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering and the Noble Truth of Suffering.