The 2nd Noble Truth: the origin of suffering is ego. Ego is the false belief that the aggregates comprise an independent, singular, and permanent self. The ego attempts to use phenomena to confirm its existence and ward off threats, leading to suffering in the form described in the 1st Noble Truth.
Table of Contents
4 Noble Truths
| 4 Noble Truths in Buddhism | ||
| English | Sanskrit | Key Points |
| Life is Suffering | dukkha | 3 types – conditioned existence, attachment, all-pervasive |
| Origin of suffering is attachment | taṇhā | 5 skandhas, 12 nidanas |
| Cessation of suffering | Nirvana | Extinction of craving, realizing non-self, no rebirth |
| Path | Marga | Meditation, 8-fold path, non-returning |
Origin of Suffering: 2nd Noble Truth
Suffering is universal. Everyone suffers. Ego is built out of the 5 skandhas: form, feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness. The essential quality of ego is not understanding. Ego misunderstands itself and its structure at the most basic level. It has a wrong idea and, in fact, cannot perceive reality because its existence is built on a misunderstanding, called ignorance.
Ego posits a stable, singular, self-existent self. This fiction creates a persistent illusion of having a self, which is actually an agglomeration of the various factors mentioned above. A sort of self exists but is protean, not singular, and impermanent. Each of its components has no singular, lasting existence either. From that perspective, the origin of suffering is the confusion about the existence of the self or ego.
This gives rise to birth. If one did not believe in a true self, there would be no need to take rebirth. The mindstream would not be driven to continue in another form. If one did not believe in an authentic, unchanging self, the mechanisms of physical suffering: birth, aging, sickness, and death, would not generate suffering. The suffering is based upon the wish to maintain the self as body identity in an unchanging state. The quest is fruitless and only leads to the suffering of being unable to arrest such threatening changes.
In Buddhism, craving leads to suffering. In this case, the mind craves rebirth because it cannot handle the lack of confirmation between states, the bardo. But in general, wanting something and not being able to attain it causes suffering as well. Clinging is the root of suffering. Buddhism teaches how to stop craving – the way leading to the cessation of suffering.
Second Noble Truth meaning: resistance to change
All phenomena, including the body, are in constant change, flowing into different forms without stopping anywhere. Realizing this leads to acceptance of the instability of the ‘self’ and the lack of true existence. Then the ‘arhat’ does not centralize onto their own person. They would not suffer from those events because they have no self to experience the suffering. Suffering is only a matter of trying to protect the self from negative experiences.
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This does not preclude pain as a phenomena. It is possible to experience pain, but not suffer from it. Think of the pain of a good stretch, for example, which is experienced as pleasurable by those accustomed to it. It’s the attachment to the state of not feeling pain that causes suffering. In fact, people used to have far greater pain tolerance than they do now.
Modern life has made us quite soft and unable to deal with physical challenges. Therefore, we are also weaker with emotional challenges. We suffer tremendously from things that people in the past would literally not even notice.
This points out a critical factor of suffering: it is not inherent to the event. One person may lose a good job and walk away whistling, while another commits suicide for the loss of the same job. Suffering is not inherent to the loss. There is a famous photo of a monk, burning to death in protest.
Example of the second Noble Truth
Thích Quảng Đức was a Vietnamese monk who protested government persecution. He appears to be meditating peacefully, not suffering. The 3rd noble truth is the cessation of suffering. Yet there must be tremendous pain. He is going to die and his skin is burning off. Even great physical pain is not inherently suffering. If a person can release the sense of suffering and attachment to the body, then it will be perceived as mere pain or sensation.
From this perspective, all the events that comprise suffering, the 3 types and 8 aspects, are simply ego’s reaction to events. Ego wants things to be different. But if there were no ego to want anything, there would be no problem to have or not have something we like or don’t like. Death would not be an issue.
In a sense, it makes no sense. If the self is independent, unchanging, and singular, what could possibly harm it? Such a self would exist independent of the body. Harm is a form of change, so if it were definitively unchanging, it would be beyond all harm. No matter what negative circumstances happened, the self would remain unchanged. If it changed, it would be a different self. It would no longer be the same person.
Therefore there is no sound logic for protecting the self. It’s simply a thoroughly ingrained habit. What the ego is really protecting itself from is the truth that it does not exist. This is the cause of the anxiety surrounding it.
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faq
What is the second noble truth Sutta?
The second noble truth Sutta (sutra) is the teaching at Deer Park, the Buddha’s first teaching on the 4 Noble Truths.
What is the second noble truth craving?
The second noble truth, craving, is also the ego. Craving generalizes to craving FOR a thing, craving for its absence (dislike), or craving for another thing, leading to ignoring the phenomenon.
What is the second noble truth for kids?
The second noble truth for kids is that stuff happens and sometimes you’re not going to like it. But the more you accept it and realize that the pain comes from inside, the easier it is. Let it be, it’s just your craving ego.
Why is craving bad in Buddhism?
Craving is not ‘bad’ in Buddhism, but is painful. It is not morally wrong to crave, however, unfulfilled longing causes suffering. Overcome it on the path of liberation.
What are the four Noble Truths of Buddhism?
Suffering
Origin of suffering
Cessation of suffering
Path to cessation
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Origin of Suffering: Conclusion
This concept generates tremendous resistance. No one likes it, initially. However, a detailed examination shows that suffering is a mental phenomenon. Inanimate objects can be burned, cut, or even destroyed and do not suffer. A corpse does not suffer. It requires the mind to suffer.
This does not mean that someone should intentionally harm themselves to gain realization. Not at all. Of course that begs the question: what do we do to counter the origin of suffering? That leads to the 3rd Noble Truth: the truth of the cessation of suffering.
May all beings be happy
May all beings be peaceful
May all beings be safe
May all beings awaken to the light of their true nature
May all beings be free
