Dukkh The Four Noble Truths Are Interpreted

The Buddha is a man who is unique in the sense that he does not claim to be anything of the extraordinary nature, nor to possess special powers. His philosophy regarding how to be enlightenment contains four noble truths, the first one being dukkha that refers to suffering. Dukkha is a noble truth that the Buddha believes people should diminish since suffering prevents people from enlightenment. Dukkha is more complex than just simply meaning suffering however. There are different aspects of dukkha and various reasons for how it arises, as well as how to cease dukkha.
Dukkha can be viewed from three aspects that are all interconnected. Dukkha can be viewed as ordinary suffering, as produced by change, and as conditioned states, which connects …show more content…
If an individual follows the eight-fold path then they will in turn reach nirvana, which leads to enlightenment. The middle path is the path that leads to nirvana as well as enlightenment. The middle path is also referred to as the eight-fold path because there are eight aspects/ categories. They include right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. The Buddha claims that if people understand and follow these eight divisions, then they will have a better chance of reaching enlightenment as well as nirvana, and will also eliminate dukkha. The eightfold path does not need to be practiced in order, but is put in numerical order based on the individual’s development. The eightfold path aims at strengthening the three main essentials of Buddhist discipline, which include ethical conduct, mental discipline, and wisdom. Ethical conduct refers to the notion that people should be kind to all living people and things, to radiate compassion, and to love immensely. It also means that people should do good things, not just for themselves but also for people and the world as a whole. Ethical conduct includes three paths of the eight fold path which include right speech, right action, and right livelihood. Right of speech is the notion that people should be …show more content…
The aspect that makes this contradictory is because the Buddha states that he is not a teacher nor can Buddhism be taught. For instance, the Buddha uses an example of a raft, which represents Buddhism. A raft can help transport people from one side of the creek onto the other but it is not necessary for them to carry the raft once they have reached the other side. Buddhism is the same in the since that the Buddhism is for the purpose to help people gain knowledge on enlightenment, as well as some of the ways of Buddhism. However, Buddhism is not learning tool that is meant to be carried with people. It can assist people but is not meant for people to use to solely rely on “I have taught a doctrine similar to a raft-it is for crossing over, and not for carrying” (p ). The Buddha’s solution to ending dukkha is by following the eighth fold path which contradicts the statement that his teachings should not be followed and contradicts that the Buddha claims that he is not a