PKSSSS CY2010
Level: J4
Lesson 6: The Four Noble Truths: (I) Suffering
- Chapter 9: The Four Noble Truths: (I) Suffering

The Four Noble Truths: (I) Suffering
- The First Sermon – The Four Noble Truths
• First sermon to five ascetics, the Buddha spoke of the Four Noble Truths.
• They are:
– The Truth of Suffering
– The Truth of the Cause of Suffering
– The Truth of the End of Suffering
– The Truth of the Path leading to the End of
Suffering
• The Four Noble Truths sum up the Buddha experienced and realized about the nature of life and how he found a solution to end suffering in life.
BIRTH Growing Up &
Four Encounters
Page 1
Renunciation
Search for
Truth
Enlightenment
Learn.
Practice.
Realise.
Share.
Teaching
Final
Nirvana

The Four Noble Truths: (I) Suffering
- The Truth of Suffering
• The Buddha’s found the solution to the problem of suffering began with the recognition that life is suffering.
• This is the first Noble Truth.
• People will see that life is suffering when they look into their experiences or around them.
• Suffering may be physical or mental.
BIRTH Growing Up &
Four Encounters
Page 2
Renunciation
Search for
Truth
Enlightenment
Learn.
Practice.
Realise.
Share.
Teaching
Final
Nirvana

The Four Noble Truths: (I) Suffering
- Physical Suffering
• There are four forms of physical suffering which is unavoidable:
– Birth
– Sickness
– Old age
– Death
• Suffering must be borne alone as there is no other person can help to take away the suffering
– Example: Mother cannot experience the pains of illness for her child
• The Buddha taught us to recognize that suffering is part of life and cannot be avoided.
BIRTH Growing Up &
Four Encounters
Renunciation
Search for
Truth
Enlightenment Teaching
Final
Nirvana
Learn.
Practice.
Realise.
Share.
Page 3

The Four Noble Truths: (I) Suffering
- Story of Kisa Gotami
• Kisa Gotami was a young woman from a well to do family.
• One day, her only son fell sick and suddenly died.
• She was very sad and bring the dead child around to ask for a medicine to cure him.
• She met the Buddha and the Buddha asked her to get five mustard seeds from any family which had never experienced death.
• She went from household to household and finally realized that the Buddha wanted her to find out herself that death comes to all.
• She finally accepted the facts and become the Buddha followers.
BIRTH Growing Up &
Four Encounters
Page 4
Renunciation
Search for
Truth
Enlightenment
Learn.
Practice.
Realise.
Share.
Teaching
Final
Nirvana

The Four Noble Truths: (I) Suffering
- Mental Suffering
• There are three forms of mental suffering:
– Do you know what are they?
• Being separated from the people one likes or loves
• Being together with people one dislikes
• Not getting what one wants
BIRTH Growing Up &
Four Encounters
Page 5
• Example:
– Can you give me an example?
– Child may feel very upset when parents do not allow them to play computer games.
Renunciation
Search for
Truth
Enlightenment
Learn.
Practice.
Realise.
Share.
Teaching
Final
Nirvana

The Four Noble Truths: (I) Suffering
- Happiness in Life
• Are there happiness in life?
– Happiness of parents love
– Happiness of friendship
– Happiness of having a healthy body
• The Buddha taught people to be aware that all forms of worldly happiness are impermanent.
• People should not be attached to (or distracted by) these temporary pleasures, otherwise they suffer when these are gone.
• The truths of suffering must first be recognized before the solution to the end of suffering can be found.
BIRTH Growing Up &
Four Encounters
Renunciation
Search for
Truth
Enlightenment
Learn.
Practice.
Realise.
Share.
Teaching
Final
Nirvana
Page 6

Summary
• Suffering is a fact of life.
• There are four forms of physical suffering which is unavoidable, namely birth, sickness, old age and death.
• There are three forms of mental suffering namely
– Being separated from the people one likes or loves
– Being together with people one dislikes
– Not getting what one wants
• The truths of suffering must first be recognized before the solution to the real problems of life can be found.
BIRTH Growing Up &
Four Encounters
Page 7
Renunciation
Search for
Truth
Enlightenment
Learn.
Practice.
Realise.
Share.
Teaching
Final
Nirvana