The First Truth I. The Noble Truth of Suffering D.22 What, now, is the Noble Truth of Suffering? Birth is suffering; Decay is suffering; Death is suffering; Sorrow, Lamentation, Pain, Grief, and Despair are suffering; not to get what one desires, is suffering; in short: the Five Groups of Existence are suffering. What, now, is Birth? The birth of beings belonging to this or that

The Second Truth II. The Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering D. 22 What, now, is the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering? It is craving, which gives rise to fresh rebirth, and, bound up with pleasure and lust, now here, now there, finds ever-fresh delight. The Threefold Craving There is the ‘Sensual Craving’ (kāma-taṇhā), the ‘Craving for (Eternal) Existence’ (bhava-taṇhā), the ‘Craving

The Third Truth III. The Noble Truth of the Extinction of Suffering D.22 What, now, is the Noble Truth of the Extinction of Suffering? It is the complete fading away and extinction of this craving, its forsaking and abandonment, liberation and detachment from it. But where may this craving vanish, where may it be extinguished? Wherever in the world there are delightful and pleasurable things,

The Fourth Truth. IV. The Noble Truth of the Path that leads to the extinction of suffering. The Two Extremes and the Middle Path SS. LVI. 11 To give oneself up to indulgence in Sensual Pleasure, the base, common, vulgar, unholy, unprofitable; or to give oneself up to Self-mortification, the painful, unholy, unprofitable: both these two extremes, the Perfect One has avoided, and has found

1. Right Understanding (Sammā-diṭṭhi) D.24 What, now, is Right Understanding? Understanding the Four Truths 1. To understand suffering; 2. to understand the origin of suffering; 3. to understand the extinction of suffering; 4. to understand the path that leads to the extinction of suffering. This is called Right Understanding. Understanding Merit and Demerit M. 9 Again, when the noble disciple understands what is karmically wholesome,

2. Right Thought (Sammā-sankappa) D. 22 What, now, is Right Thought? 1. Thought free from lust (nekkhamma-sankappa). 2. Thought free from ill-will (avyāpāda-sankappa). 3. Thought free from cruelty (avihimsā--sankappa). This is called Right Thought. Mundane and Super-mundane Thought M. 117 Now, Right Thought, I tell you, is of two kinds: 1. Thought free from lust, from ill-will, and from cruelty—this is called ‘ Mundane Right

3. Right Speech (Sammā-vācā) What now, is Right Speech? Abstaining From Lying A. X. 176 1. Herein someone avoids lying and abstains from it: He speaks the truth, is devoted to the truth, reliable, worthy of confidence, not a deceiver of men. Being at a meeting, or amongst people, or in the midst of his relatives, or in a society, or in the king’s court,

4. Right Action (Sammā-kammanta) A. X. 176 What, now, is Right Action? Abstaining From Killing 1. Herein someone avoids the killing of living beings, and abstains from it. Without stick or sword, conscientious, full of sympathy, he is desirous of the welfare of all living beings. Abstaining From Stealing 2. He avoids stealing, and abstains from it; what another person possesses of goods and chattels

5. Right Livelihood (Sammā-ājiva) What, now, is Right Livelihood? D. 22 1. When the noble disciple, avoiding a wrong way of living, gets his livelihood by a right way of living, this is called Right Livelihood . In the Majjhima-Nikāya, No. 117, it is said: ‘To practise deceit, treachery, soothsaying, trickery, usury: this is wrong livelihood.’ And in the Aṅguttara-Nikāya, V. 1 77, it is