Dr. Shakyamuni's Diagnosis

THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS

One of the reasons behind Shakyamuni’s quest for enlightenment was to find an explanation and a cure for the cause of suffering in society.  In one of the most famous of his early teachings, Shakyamuni lays out the problem as he sees it, explains the cause of the problem and offers hope and a solution. 

In the Sammaditthi Sutra, he says, “When a disciple of the noble ones discerns stress, the origination of stress, the cessation of stress, and the way of practice leading to the cessation of stress, then he has arrived at this true Dhamma.” 

From this we get the FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS:

(1)   People suffer. 

This may seem a pessimistic or negative diagnosis, but it is a reality of people’s lives.  Like a doctor, Shakyamuni knew that he had to identify and acknowledge the nature of the disease, before he would be able to treat it.  Dr. Shakyamuni’s diagnosis was that the four main sources of suffering are the physical and emotional stress of birth, aging, sickness and death.  In addition to these, there were four extra causes of stress.  These were parting from those we love, meeting with those we hate, not being able to attain something we want and disappointment due to errors in our thoughts and expectations of how we think life should be.

 

(2)   The cause of suffering is due to our clingings, cravings and desires. 

Dr. Shakyamuni’s diagnosis was that this stress comes from a deep desire for things to stay the same, for things to not stay the same or for things to turn out how we want them to.  These desires are largely manifest in our lives due to our inherent greed, anger and ignorance.

 

(3)   There is a way to break free from this suffering. 

Good news!  There is a cure and Dr. Shakyamuni can teach us how to free ourselves from these cravings and desires which lead to emotional, physical and mental sufferings.

 

(4)   To break free from suffering follow the EIGHTFOLD PATH.

And finally, the medicine - if you live your life according to Dr. Shakyamuni’s eight guidelines you will overcome this greed, hate and ignorance, and ultimately free yourself from the cravings and desires which lead to suffering.

 

Nichiren Buddhists follow the teachings of the Lotus Sutra, which states in Chapter 3 that while in the past these four noble truths WERE taught as the truth, in reality the wisdom of the Lotus Sutra is the most wonderful, unsurpassed great Law: 

“In the past at Varanasi you turned the wheel of the Law of the four noble truths, making distinctions, preaching that all things are born and become extinct, being made up of the five components.  Now you turn the wheel of the most wonderful, the unsurpassed great Law.  This Law is very profound and abstruse;  there are few who can believe it.  Since times past often we have heard the World-Honored One's preaching, but we have never heard this kind of profound, wonderful and superior Law.  Since the World-Honored One preaches this Law, we all welcome it with joy.” (The Lotus Sutra)

 

From this perspective, while Nichiren Buddhists don’t specifically follow the four noble truths, in light of the Lotus Sutra they could be interpreted as:

(1)  Life consists of joy and suffering. 

(2)  The cause of this suffering is anger, greed and an ignorance of the workings of the universe. 

(3)  There is a way to achieve absolute happiness and reveal our Buddhahood in this lifetime just as we are. 

(4)  "If you wish to free yourself from the sufferings of birth and death you have endured since time without beginning and to attain without fail unsurpassed enlightenment in this lifetime, you must perceive the mystic truth that is originally inherent in all living beings ... [by] chanting Myoho-renge-kyo."  (WND-1, p3), following the EIGHTFOLD PATH as it relates to the Lotus Sutra and teaching others to do the same.