四聖諦 Four Noble Truths

Four Noble Truths

四聖諦

Why are we here? Why are we not happy with our lives? What is the cause of our unsatisfactoriness? How can we see the end of unsatisfactoriness and experience eternal peace? The Buddha’s Teaching is based on the Four Noble Truths. To realize these Truths is to realize and penetrate into the true nature of existence, including the full knowledge of oneself. When we recognize that all phenomenal things are transitory, are subject to suffering and are void of any essential reality, we will be convinced that true and enduring happiness cannot be found in material possessions and worldly achievement, that true happiness must be sought only through mental purity and the cultivation of wisdom.

我們在這里做什麼？我們對生命感到快樂嗎？什麼是苦的根源？我們如何 結束苦並達到永恆的寧靜？

四聖諦是佛陀教義的主導。是讓我們理解世間真相的知識和真理。當我們知道世間一切現象都是短暫的和苦的時候，了解到在這物質世界里，根本沒有快樂可言。唯有通過心靈的淨化和智慧的發展，才能得到永恆的寧靜和快樂。

The Four Noble Truths are a very important aspect of the teaching of the Buddha. The Buddha has said that it is because we fail to understand the Four Noble Truths that we have continued to go round in the cycle of birth and death. In the very first sermons of the Buddha, the Dhammachakka Sutta, which He gave to the five monks at the Deer park in Sarnath was on the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. What are the Four Noble Truths?

四聖諦是佛陀教義中最重要的一環。佛陀宣說四聖諦是為了讓我們脫離生死輪迴的苦海。根據《轉法輪經》(Dhammachaa Sutta)的記載：佛陀證悟後，于鹿野苑首次為五比庫開示時，所宣說的就是四聖諦和八聖道。

什麼是四聖諦？

They are as follows: The Noble Truth of Dukkha The Noble Truth of the Cause of Dukkha The Noble Truth of the End of Dukkha The Noble Truth of the path leading to the End of Dukkha There are many ways of understanding the Pali word ‘Dukkha’. It has generally been translated as ‘suffering’ or ‘unsatisfactoriness’, but this term as used in the Four Noble Truths has a deeper and wider meaning. Dukkha contains not only the ordinary meaning of suffering, but also includes deeper ideas such as imperfection, pain, impermanence, disharmony, discomfort, irritation, or awareness of incompleteness and insufficiency. By all means, Dukkha includes physical and mental suffering: birth, decay, disease, death, to be united with the unpleasant, to be separated from the pleasant, not to get what one desires.

四聖諦是：

一、造成諸苦的苦，苦聖諦。

二、苦的起因，集聖諦。

三、苦的熄滅，滅聖諦。

四、滅苦之道，道聖諦。

在巴利文中苦(Duha)有多重含義，如：困擾、不滿足、疼痛、不和諧等意思，在四聖諦中，我們采用了意義更深入和廣泛的「苦」為它下定義。「苦」包括肉體和精神的「苦」，如：生、老、病、死。「苦」與舒適界限分明，永遠站在不舒適的那一邊。但是，很多人不理解當歡愉和快樂的時候，那也是「苦」，因為歡愉、快樂是不永恆的，一旦失去時就轉化成「苦」了。因此，「苦」占據了整個生存的空間。我們的快樂或悲傷，甚至我們的整個生命都是「苦」，只要我們活著一天，就要接受生命就是「苦」的真相。

However, many people do not realize that even during the moments of joy and happiness, there is Dukkha because these moments are all impermanent states and will pass away when conditions change.

Therefore, the truth of Dukkha encompasses the whole of existence, in our happiness and sorrow, in every aspect of our lives. As long as we live, we are very profoundly subjected to this truth. Some people may have the impression that viewing life in terms of Dukkha is a rather pessimistic way of looking at life. This is not a pessimistic but a realistic way of looking at life. If one is suffering from a disease and refuses to recognize the fact that one is ill, and as a result of which refuses to seek for treatment, we will not consider such a mental attitude as being optimistic, but merely as being foolish. Therefore, by being both optimistic or pessimistic, one does not really understand the nature of life, and is therefore unable to tackle life’s problems in the right perspective.

The Four Noble Truths begin with the recognition of Dukkha and then proceed to analyse its cause and find its cure. Had the Buddha stopped at the Truth of Dukkha, then one may say Buddhism has identified the problem but has not given the cure; if such is the case, then the human situation is hopeless. However, not only is the Truth of Dukkha recognized, the Buddha proceeded to analyze its cause and the way to cure it. How can Buddhism be considered to be pessimistic if the cure to the problem is known? In fact, it is a teaching which is filled with hope. In addition, even though Dukkha is a noble truth, it does not mean that there is no happiness, enjoyment and pleasure in life. There is, and the Buddha has taught various methods with which we can gain more happiness in our daily life. However, in the final analysis, the fact remains that the pleasure or happiness which we experience in life is impermanent. We may enjoy a happy situation, or the good company of someone we love, or we enjoy youth and health. Sooner or later, when these states change we experience suffering. Therefore, while there is every reason to feel glad when one experiences happiness, one should not cling to these happy states or be side-tracked and forget about working one’s way to complete Liberation. If we wish to cure ourselves from suffering, we must first identify its cause.

According to the Buddha, craving or desire (tanha or raga) is the cause of suffering. This is the Second Noble Truth. People crave for pleasant experiences, crave for material things, crave for eternal life, and when disappointed, crave for eternal death. They are not only attached to sensual pleasures, wealth and power, but also to ideas, views, opinions, concepts, beliefs. And craving is linked to ignorance, that is, not seeing things as they really are, or failing to understand the reality of experience and life. Under the delusion of Self and not realizing Anatta (non-Self), a person clings to things which are impermanent, changeable, perishable. The failure to satisfy one’s desires through these things causes disappointments and suffering. The Danger of Selfish Desire Craving is a fire which burns in all beings: every activity is motivated by desire. They range from the simple physical desire of animals to the complex and often artificially stimulated desires of the civilized man. To satisfy desire, animals prey upon one another, and human beings fight, kill, cheat, lie and perform various forms of unwholesome deeds. Craving is a powerful mental force present in all forms of life, and is the chief cause of the ills in life. It is this craving that leads to repeated births in the cycle of existence.

Once we have realized the cause of suffering, we are in the position to put an end to suffering. So, how do we put an end to suffering? Eliminate it at its root by the removal of craving in the mind. This is the Third Noble Truth. The state where craving ceases is known as Nibbana. The word Nibbana is composed of ‘ni’ and ‘vana’, meaning the departure from or end of craving. This is a state which is free from suffering and rounds of rebirth. This is a state which is not subjected to the laws of birth, decay and death. This state is so sublime that no human language can express it. Nibbana is Unborn, Unoriginated, Uncreated, Unformed. If there were not this Unborn, this Unoriginated, this Uncreated, this Unformed, then escape from the conditioned world is not possible. Nibbana is beyond logic and reasoning. We may engage in highly speculative discussions regarding Nibbana or ultimate reality, but this is not the way to really understand it.

To understand and realize the truth of Nibbana, it is necessary for us to walk the Eightfold Path, and to train and purify ourselves with diligence and patience. Through spiritual development and maturity, we will be able to realize the Third Noble Truth. The Noble Eightfold Path is the Fourth Noble Truth which leads to Nibbana. It is a way of life consisting of eight factors. By walking on this Path, it will be possible for us to see an end to suffering. Because Buddhism is a logical and consistent teaching embracing every aspect of life, this noble Path also serves as the finest possible code for leading a happy life. Its practice brings benefits to oneself and other, and it is not a Path to be practised by those who call themselves Buddhists alone, but by each and every understanding person, irrespective of his religious beliefs.

有些人認為生命就是「苦」是一種悲觀的看法。其實，這一點也不悲觀，而是一條正確理解人生的道路。當一個人生病時，不承認自己有病，不願找醫生診治。這是不正確的觀點，是一種愚蠢的行為。因此，這種錯誤觀或悲觀，不能令人了解生命的真諦，無法解決生命中的問題。四聖諦清楚的解釋和分析「苦」，並指示了對治「苦」 的方法。如果佛陀只限于分析「苦」的真諦，而不指示對治「苦」的方法，那麼，人類將是無助和沒有希望了。佛陀不止為我們分析了「苦」，也為我們提供了對治「苦」的方案。當佛教徒都知道如何對治「苦」時，它們又怎麼會悲觀呢？佛陀的教誨，令人類充滿了希望。

另一方面，生命是「苦」，並不表示人類因此就沒有快樂、歡愉、榮幸等情緒。佛陀的教誨，也能令我們在日常生活中充滿法喜。當我們深入了解時，一切樂受都是不永恆的。當我們在享有快樂、友好、摯愛、青春、健康時，要了解到這一切即將轉化為「苦」。因此，當一個人在快樂時，不要忘記提醒自己，鞭策自己，勤奮的尋求解脫之道。

我們要對治「苦」，就必須先了解「苦因」。根據佛陀所說，欲(tanha)和貪(Ràga) 就是「苦因」(集)這是四聖諦中的第二聖諦──集聖諦。人類追尋欲樂、追尋物質、追尋永生、追尋不死，但是，這一切都會讓他們失望。人類所追求不止于物質方面肉欲的快感、財富和權力，也追求于精神方面的，如：想法、看法、意見、概念和信仰等等。貪欲帶動愚癡，使人蒙蔽，看不清真相。認清楚「我」，了解「無我」(Anattà)的道理，思考于不永恆、變動和死亡，那麼，「苦」就開始遠離你了。

自私的危險：

欲望是火焰，能燒毀一切生命，人類的任何一種活動，都是由欲望生起的。從人類到各種低等生物，在本性都充滿了欲望。從動物侵襲對方，到人類的戰爭、殺生、欺騙、撒謊等不良的行徑，可以證實這一點。欲望占據了一切生命，是生命中最大的弊病。是欲望導致眾生輪迴不息。

當我們明了「苦」的真諦後，就應該消滅「苦」。我們應該如何滅苦呢？滅苦的根源就在于舍棄欲望。這是第三聖諦──滅聖諦。沒有欲望的清淨境界就是──涅槃(Nibbàna)。涅槃的巴利文 Nibbàna 是由字根 n 和àna 組成，原意就是舍棄欲望。這是一個沒有苦受和輪迴的境界，也沒有生、老、病、死。這個境界並非人類的語言可以解釋得清楚。涅槃是一個無生、無因緣、無造作、無組織的境界。在我們居住的世界里，要造就一個無生、無因緣、無造作、無組織的環境是不可能的。

涅槃是一種理想，我們必須以高度的思維方式來趨向究竟涅槃，但是，這並不是正確了解涅槃的方法。要正確的了解涅槃，必須先認識「八聖道」，同時要勤奮、有耐心和淨化自己。通過心靈的發展和道德的培養，我們正確的認識了第三聖諦──滅聖諦。

「八聖道」是第四聖諦，是引導我們邁向涅槃的聖諦。通過八種正確的生活方式，我們走向正道──苦滅之道。佛教徒學習和了解生命中任何細節，「八聖道」也是為我們帶來幸福生活的唯一途徑，不但為自己帶來幸福，也為他人帶來幸福。但不是所有自稱佛教徒的人，就能理解這個真理，他必須深入的去了解和實踐這個真理，才能過著神聖的宗教生活。