Four Noble Truths

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These pages hold topics, threads, people or concepts that weave through many of the resources on this site. I developed the topics pages mostly for trainings as a resource. I hope they can be useful in your explorations. Many of these topics have other meanings in different settings or traditions. I offer these interpretations based on my experience only.

About

The Four Noble Truths are the foundation of the Buddha’s teaching—both the diagnosis and the path to liberation. They articulate a radical view of human experience: that suffering (dukkha) is not incidental but inherent to conditioned life; that it has causes; that it can end; and that there is a clear, lived path to its cessation.

These truths are not abstract beliefs but experiential insights to be explored in meditation, daily life, and ethical conduct. Together, they outline a path of awakening rooted in direct seeing rather than blind faith. The Buddha often said he taught only suffering and its end—a statement that reveals the full scope and compassion of the Dhamma.

Thanissaro Bhikkhu | Four Noble Truths | dhammatalks.org

Lion’s Roar What Are the Four Noble Truths? | Buddhism A–Z

Spirit Rock Meditation Center The Four Noble Truths

Plum Village App The Four Noble Truths | Thich Nhat Hanh (short teaching video)

Key Points

Dukkha: All conditioned experience is marked by suffering, stress, or unsatisfactoriness.
Samudaya: Suffering arises due to craving (taṇhā), clinging, and ignorance.
Nirodha: The end of suffering is possible through the fading and cessation of craving.
Magga: The Noble Eightfold Path leads to the end of suffering.
These truths are to be understood, abandoned, realized, and cultivated, not merely believed.

Articles and Resources on This Site

What is Buddhism? An Introduction for the Curious.

A beginner-friendly introduction to Buddhism. This essay offers a clear, exploration of what Buddhism is—and what it isn’t—through the life of the Buddha, the Four Noble Truths, and the path of practice. No jargon, no mysticism—just a human invitation to clarity, freedom, and direct experience.

Beginner

The Four Noble Truths

The Four Noble Truths move from recognizing life’s unease, to seeing its cause, to the possibility of release, and the Noble Eightfold Path that leads there.

Nothing Out of Place: Loneliness and the Dhamma of Staying Present

A reflection on Maylie Scott’s teaching that “nothing is out of place,” exploring how loneliness can be met with mindful presence and compassion.

External Links

What are the four noble truths?

tricycle.org

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