In your jotter produce a drawing/diagram to show the
3 Marks of Existence (annica/anatta/dukkha) and the
five skhandas. *
Try to include examples/images to help you
remember.
Anicca
*use a double page
The Four Noble Truths
After Enlightenment
After the Buddha achieved enlightenment (Nibbana), he spent
the rest of his life teaching others about what he had learned.
The Buddha
lived until
the age of
about 80.
He also guided others as to how they could also achieve
enlightenment.
When the Buddha achieved enlightenment he
gained an understanding of truths about the
nature of reality and the nature of humans.
Part of this understanding can be seen in the
“3 Marks of Existence”
It can also be seen in the:
4 Noble Truths
These truths are a fundamental part of Buddhist
teaching and not only describe why people suffer, but
point Buddhists in the direction of an end to suffering.
What Are The Four Noble Truths?
The First - Dukkha
The Second - Samudaya
The Third - Nirodha
The Fourth - Magga
1st Noble Truth
Buddha taught that suffering
(Dukkha) was real and happens all
the time.
Siddhartha saw the first 3 sights
and this showed him suffering was
everywhere. He saw different ways
of suffering but he still said it was all
similar.
Suffering happens all the time in
our lives, sometimes we don’t even
realise it. Happiness is just
temporary for us, we are never
happy for very long.
Activity


Would suffering exist if you could never
be happy?
Do you find this pessimistic?
Optimistic? Truthful? Something else?
Why do you think this?
2nd Noble Truth
The second noble truth is that suffering
has a cause. Buddha said that the real
cause of all suffering was desire or
wanting something. He said there were
3 ways this could happen:
1.Desire for a thing. Greed. Eg wanting a
new phone
2.Not knowing the truth (the 4 noble
truths). Ignorance. Eg. Wanting cake
because you think it will make you happy.
3.Wanting bad things for others not you.
Hate. Eg wanting someone else to suffer
He sometimes called these the “3 fires”.
Even when the suffering appears to be
caused my something outside of us
Buddha said it is our minds reaction
that makes us suffer.
Activity
 Draw a symbol
which represents
each of the 3 fires.
 Give an example
of one of the fires
from your own life.
3rd Noble Truth
The third noble truth says that you
can avoid suffering and reach a
point where you never suffer and
you have an everlasting
happiness. This is called Nibbana.
Buddha did not say much about
Nirvana other than it made you care
about other people more, and you
did not suffer. Buddha is an
example of someone who achieved
Nibbana.
Buddha wanted to show that this
was possible in everyday life so
that life did not seem so sad as it
was filled with suffering.
Activity


What does Nirvana feel like?
Draw or write some of your
own ideas.
Why would you want to
achieve Nirvana
4th Noble Truth
The 4th Noble truth is instructions on
how to avoid suffering. It says that you
need to avoid the two extremes.
Siddhartha avoided the extremes of
having too much (as a prince) and
having not enough (as a holy man in
the forest) by finding balance between
them. He called this the middle way. It
is a bit like balancing a seesaw
He suggested following a system called
the 8 fold path which was the middle
way. We will learn more about this next lesson
Avoiding suffering involves avoiding
desire and cravings. This is like a
smoker who avoids smoking by getting
rid of their cigarette cravings.
Activity



Can we control our desires?
Why?
Give an example of something
which avoids two extremes.
Give an example of a time you
have avoided a desire.
The First Noble Truth - Dukkha
Life Is Suffering
The Second Noble Truth - Samudaya
Suffering Is
Caused by Desire
The Third Noble Truth - Nirodha
To Stop Suffering You
Have To Stop Desiring
The Fourth Noble Truth - Magga
To Stop Desiring Follow
the EightFold Path
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The Story of Kisagotami
Kisagotami had a young son who was bitten by a snake and died.
Kisagotami could not accept that he was actually dead. She
went to see the Buddha to see if he could help her son. The
Buddha told her to bring back one grain of mustard seed from
a house that has not experienced a death in the family.
The Story of Kisagotami
Kisagotami went off and tried to do this, but she could not.
Everywhere she went, families had suffered losses of life. She
realised that everyone had experienced the suffering of losing
a loved one.
Questions
1. Do you agree with the first noble truth? What
evidence is their to support your view?
(2 Marks)
2. Describe and explain the meaning behind the story
of Kisagotami.
( 4 Marks)
3. What are the four noble truths?
(4 Marks)
4. Why are the 4 Noble truths so important to the
Buddhist understanding of the human condition?
(2 Marks)
5. “It’s impossible to stop desiring, so the Four Noble
Truths can’t teach you how to stop suffering”. Do
you agree with this statement?
(3 Marks)