The Third Noble Truth |
If you have been following these articles from the beginning, then you will have read
about dukkha (or unsatisfactoriness/suffering),
being The First Noble Truth,
and its arising - The Second Noble
Truth. Although a quick glance at our pages may seem depressing, actually
making the effort to see things as they really are brings about realisation
and release. Indeed, in examining carefully these two great Truths, we
naturally discover the Third, DukkhaNirodha, being
the Cessation of Dukkha, more commonly called Nibbana (Nirvana,
in Sanskrit).
So what is the Cessation of dukkha? It is simple, so I give a picture instead of the usual mass of words:
is the key to extinguishing the fires of craving. |
[the picture is a kind of montage using images from One Mile Up, Inc. and Techpool Studios clipart libraries, available with CorelDraw!3].
Further links on the Third Noble Truth
- Dharma Talk:
The Third Noble Truth, The End of Suffering is another wonderful talk
by Lama Surya Das that was given at a weekly meeting of the Dzogchen
sitting group in Cambridge, MA. It is full of references to experiences
in life (and death), complete with some questions and answers.
- Access to
Insight's statement of NT3, once again based on the Pali canon..
- What
is nibbana ? This extract from the 'Buddha's Path', by the Triple Gem
Press, provides a useful contrast between nibbana and notions of heaven
and God.
- Buddhism Questions and Answers a light-hearted and open session that offers an amusing overview of the Four Noble Truths, part of the centenial of the 1893 World Parliament of Religions.
Nirvana is the ultimate liberation, what could be termed for Buddhists, the Absolute.
O bhikkhus, what is the Absolute (Asamhata = unconditioned)?
It is, O bhikkhus, the extinction of desire (ragakkhayo),
the extinction of hatred (dosakkhayo),
the extinction of illusion (mohakkhayo.
This, O bhikkhus, is called the Absolute.
Thus the Third Noble Truth, the Cessation of dukkha, which can be simply stated, yet has proved so hard to realize. In view of the immense difficulty, the Buddha is said to have baulked at the idea of trying to convey such deep truths, but eventually (and fortunately for us:), he gave in his first sermon even some medicine that we can take for ourselves to be cured and realise dukkhanirodha - that medicine is the Fourth Noble Truth, being the Eightfold Noble Path
Note
This article was originally one of a series of contributions I made as a 'Buddhist Guide' for the Mining Company.
- Paul Trafford