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buddhism : 4 sights

• old man
• revealing the consequences of death
• something that happens to all beings
• sick man
• all beings are subject to pain
• no one can stay healthy and live a pain free life
• dead man
• death is an inevitable fate that befalls everyone
• sufferings that have to be endured through life
• a holy man
• an ascetic : someone who harms themselves to become more spiritually enlightened
• gave him hope he too might be released from the sufferings arising , he decided to follow the ascetics example.

buddhism : the middle way

• extravegant lifestyle could not protect him from suffering of give him happiness
• ascetic lifestyle did not bring him closer to spiritual fufillment
• he realised that the only way to become enlightened was to live the middle way.

buddhism : 4 noble truths

• " I teach suffering, its origin, cessation and path. That's all I teach." - the buddha -
• Dukka
• life is full of suffering, nothing really satisfies you. We suffer because things are out of reach, the longing for it gets in the way of everything. You soon realise that the thing you wanted (and got) wasn't what you thought it was.
• Samudaya
• suffering is caused by desire. The craving itself becomes a source of suffering pointless desire because ultimately it cannot be fufilled. There is no logical end to desire. Individual desires might be satisfied but desire itself can never be
• Niroda
• To stop suffering you have to stop desiring, once all of this has happened you have achieved the state of Nibbana. The aim is not to satisfy your desire by achieving it but never to have the desire in the first place. Once you detain yourself from them you aren't caught up anymore.
• Magga
• noble eightfold path
• 1 - there is a problem (dukka)
• 2 - why is there a problem (samudaya)
• 3 - there is a solution (niroda)
• 4 - what is the solution (Magga)

Dr buddha

• wasn't a medical doctor
• buddha was often compared to as a physician
• first 2 noble truths he diagnosed the problem (suffering) and identified the cause
• 3rd noble truth is the realisation that there is a cure
• 4th noble truth in which the buddha set out the eightfold path (the prescription) the way to achieve a release from suffering.

noble eightfold path

• set of 8 guiding principles that a buddhist will use to keep them on the right path.
• wisdom
• right view, right intention
• characteristic of buddhahood. involves true insight and deep understanding of life.
• morality
• right speech, right conduct, right livilihood
• meditation
• right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration
• buddhist must follow each part, in any order but should be done together.