The Four Noble Truths Sutra
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Chinese translation: later Han dynasty – An The Cao – Ān Shìgāo
Vietnamese translation: Thich Chanh Lac
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Thus I have heard: One time the Buddha lived in the garden of Anathapindika, the Jeta’s Grove forest, in the country of Shravasti. At that time, the Buddha told the Bhikkhus; The Bhikkhus said:
– Yes.
The Bhikkhus immediately followed the Buddha to listen to his teachings. The Buddha immediately said this:
– Bhikkhu, when talking about the true Dharma, that is the Four Truths. That is to think fully, to see fully, to fully understand, to differentiate, to reveal, to display.
If there were Bhikkhus in the past who, following the Tathagatas, the Non-Conscious, the Fully Enlightened, heard the Dharma, they would also say this main thing, which is the Four Truths. That is thinking fully, seeing, opening, knowing, discriminating, and discovering fully.
If there are Bhikkhus in the future who, following the Tathagatas, the Asathagatas, the Enlightened Ones, hear the Dharma, they will also speak this Dharma. Indeed, this sage, that is the Four Noble Truths, as fully stated above.
Now there is a Bhikkhu regarding the Tathagata, the One with No Thoughts and Perfect Enlightenment in the present, and He also talks about this True Truth, the Four Noble Truths as such are thinking fully, seeing, opening, understanding, discriminating, and fully discovering.
Buddha again said:
Bhikkhu Sariputta is a person with intelligence that is agile, sharp, sharp, tall, wide, profound, quintessential, and capable. Bhikkhu Sariputta is both the leading role and also a steadfast object, like a treasure, depending on the situation. Why? Dear sage, because I briefly talk about these Four Truths, Bhikkhu Sariputta can speak fully for others, think fully, can see, can open, can understand, can distinguish, can show, can make many people follow the Dharma. It is Bhikkhu Sariputta who guides people without mistakes, so that those who follow the wrong path can return to the right path. Bhikkhu Sariputta is like a birth mother, Bhikkhu Maudgalyayana is like a nurturing mother. Thanks to Bhikkhu Maudgalyayana, he was enlightened. For Venerable Sariputta and Venerable Maudgalyayana, you should worship, make offerings, and come to learn. Bhikkhu Sariputta and Bhikkhu Maudgalyayana are fellow students, bringing the idea of peace to the monks and no one else.
After the Buddha finished speaking like that, he got up from his seat and went into the quiet room to meditate. At that time, the sage Sariputta told the Bhikkhus:
– It was for our benefit that the Buddha appeared in the world, so he spoke these Four Truths. What are the four truths? 1. Suffering; 2. Practice; 3. End; 4. Religion. Practicing the Four Noble Truths will eliminate suffering.
Dear sage, what is the Truth of Suffering? -Birth is suffering, old age is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering, meeting each other with hatred is suffering, loving each other but having to separate is suffering, wishing not to be is suffering, in short, the five skandhas are suffering.
Dear sage, what is suffering? That is, humans and all other types of living beings, due to birth, have the development of birth, due to compliance, due to desire, the five skandhas have arisen, immediately have the basis of life, this is called birth.
Dear sage, birth is suffering. What causes and conditions cause suffering? That is, when born, humans have a body so they must experience suffering. From contact (wings) comes contact, from bringing together (all) birth unites, causing the mind to experience suffering; Contact gives birth to contact, feeling gives birth to feeling, causing pain in body and mind. Because contact gives birth to contact, knowing feeling gives birth to feeling, causing the body to experience afflictions. Contact gives birth to contact, feeling gives birth to feeling, causing the body and mind to become feverish; Due to contact again contact, due to feeling again feeling, the body becomes tired and exhausted; Due to contact again contact, due to feeling again feeling, the mind becomes tired, causing heat and sadness; Due to contact again, due to feeling again feeling, causing the body and mind to be hot and tired, giving rise to the idea of heat and brain; From contact to contact, from feeling to feeling, friend, suffering arises as mentioned above. That’s why it is said: from birth comes old age.
Dear sage, what is called old age and suffering?
– Aging means that all living beings become old and tired, have wrinkled faces, and their health declines. Because of old age, their backs are bent and they have to walk with a cane, their jet-black hair and beard become gray, their senses have declined, their bodies are deteriorating, their beauty is withered, turning into the old age of human life. That’s called getting old.
Dear sage, old age is suffering. For what reason do we say that aging is suffering? Because of old age, the body and emotions suffer; From contact all contact, from action to feeling all feeling, from thought to contact suffering; Due to contact all contact, feeling all feeling, body and mind also suffer; From contact all contact, from feeling all feeling, the body gets heat and brain; From all contact, from all feeling, from all feeling, the mind becomes feverish; From feeling all contact, feeling all feeling, body and mind become feverish; From all emotions, from all feelings, from all feelings, the body becomes hot and tired; Due to contact, all are exposed, due to feeling, all feel the same, so the concept of fatigue, heat, sadness; Due to contact, all are exposed, due to feeling, all feel the same, the body and mind experience heat, fatigue, and worry; Due to contact, all are exposed, due to feeling, all are the same, that is why, sage, it is said that old age is suffering. That’s why we talk about suffering above.
Dear sage, illness is suffering. What is suffering? That is, there are times when there are headaches, stomachaches, earaches, noseaches, mouthaches, lipaches, tongueaches, throataches, vomiting, complications (from one state to another), lower body diseases, heat diseases, urinary tract diseases, madness, goiter, restlessness, joint pain, fatigue (skin pain), open pain, hot blood disease, phlegm disease… there are many other diseases like that that are born from that, cannot be escaped, all in the body. This, sage, is called suffering. What causes and conditions cause illness and suffering? That is, when a person is sick, the body suffers, all contact is contact, all feeling is felt, and thoughts are suffering; Due to contact, all contact, all feelings, all body and thoughts experience suffering; Due to contact with all contact, feeling all feeling, the body becomes hot and brainy; Because of contact with all contact and feeling with all feelings, the mind becomes feverish. Because of contact with all contact and feeling with all feelings, the body and thoughts become feverish; Due to contact with all contact, feeling all feeling, the body becomes hot and worried; Due to contact with all contact, feeling all feeling, the mind becomes hot and anxious; Because of contact with all contact and feeling with all feeling, body and mind become hot and worried; Due to contact all contact, feeling all feeling, friend, that is why it is called suffering, due to the above causes and conditions.
Dear sage, death is suffering. What is death and suffering? That is something that humans cannot avoid, as humans are in the cycle of birth and death, this body must be left behind, thrown away, destroyed everywhere, the body can no longer be seen, the five skandhas have ended, the life base has been abandoned. When it is destroyed and dead, it is called death. Dear sage, what is the cause and condition that makes death called suffering? –At the time of death, the human body feels suffering, due to contact all contact, feeling all feelings, thoughts and emotions are suffering; Due to contact all contact, feeling all feeling, body and thoughts experience suffering; Due to contact with all contact, feeling all feeling, causing the body to become brain-heated; Due to contact with all contact, feeling all feeling, causing the mind to become hot; Due to contact with all contact and feeling all feelings, it causes the body and mind to become feverish; Due to contact with all contact and feeling all feeling, the body becomes tired, hot, regretful, and exhausted; Due to contact with all contact and feeling all feelings, the body and mind become tired, hot, regretful, and exhausted; Because all contact is contact, all feeling is felt, friend, so it is said that restraint is suffering. Because of that cause and also from that cause, it is said that death is suffering.
Dear sage, hating each other and having to meet each other is suffering. What do you mean by hating each other and having to meet each other? Dear sage, people have six self-indulgences (six inner realms), not lovely, not lovely, but they gather in one place, that is the form of destruction, not in the right position, but gathering together, working together, that separation is called suffering. Likewise, the external senses are also the same, that is: consciousness is the same, thoughts are the same, understanding is the same, thoughts are the same, thoughts are the same, craving is the same, the six formations are the same. Dear sage, people have six things that are not lovable. What are the six things? These are earth type, water type, fire type, wind type, empty type and consciousness type. That is the same form, the same association, the same association, that is suffering. Dear sage, because they are not compatible, not lovable and have to be together, it is called suffering. Due to what causes and conditions do they not match, are not lovable but must gather, this sage, is called suffering? Because they do not love each other but must work together and unite, this sage, causes the human body to experience suffering, through contact with all contact, feeling all feelings, causing the mind to experience suffering; Due to contact with all contact, feeling all feelings, causing the body and thoughts to experience suffering; By contacting all contact, feeling all feeling, causing the body and thoughts to be burned; Due to contact with all contact, feeling all feeling, causing the body to burn, fatigue, suffering; Due to contact with all contact, feeling all feeling, causing the mind to be burned, tired, miserable; Due to contact with all contact, feeling all feelings, causing the body and thoughts to burn, fatigue, and suffering; Due to contact, all contact, feeling all feeling, which are not lovable together, must come together. This, friend, is suffering. So it’s because of what I said above.
Dear sage, love and separation is suffering. What is love that must be separated? Dear sage, that person has six realms inside, very lovely, but they must be separated, lost, separated, separated, not gathered together, not reunited, not living together, not meeting, not feeling each other, calling it suffering. The same is true for the six external sense bases: consciousness is the same, contact is the same, feeling is the same, understanding is the same, mindfulness is the same, craving is the same, the six things of preservation are the same. Dear sage, there are people who love and preserve the six things: earth, water, fire, air, space and consciousness, but must separate, separate, separate from each other, not meeting, separated, not living together, not coming together, not touching each other, that is suffering. Dear sage, being separated from what you love is called suffering. Therefore, it is because of that cause that I say that.
Praying but not getting it is also suffering. This is why, sage, speaking of worldly dharma, if a person has a wish in his mind: “I hope I will not be born”. That cannot be desired; With aging, this sage, if a person has a wish in their mind: “I hope I don’t get old”. That doesn’t mean you want it but you get it. Regarding illness, this sage, when people are sick, they have the wish that: “I hope I am not sick”, but still cannot escape suffering. Dear sage, when it comes to death, people must die, but they hope: “Please let me live, don’t die”, but I don’t hope to get it. Dear sage, someone has given birth to a painful, undesirable, undesired, useless thought. That person has a wish: “If the painful, undesirable, useless thought has been born, may it change into a desirable, desirable, pleasant thought.” That cannot be desired.
Dear sage, there is a person who has a wishful thinking, a thought that is undesirable, unsatisfactory, and non-existent. That person thinks like this: “Let’s make the thought of wanting but useless, unsatisfactory, not desirable, hopefully change it into usable, desirable, make it pleasing to me, for the impossible to become possible.”
Dear sage, there are people who give birth to lovely and agreeable thoughts. Suppose that person has the thought: “If the feeling I have created is lovely and agreeable, I hope it will be permanent and inseparable.” That desire is not about wanting but getting.
Dear sage, suppose someone gives birth to this thought: “The thought of love is so pleasant and lovely”, then the wish is born: “Let this thought, the thought of giving birth to desire, capable of desire be permanent, solid, do not separate. Make this wish not to be cut off”, but it still does not work. Saying what you want but not getting it is suffering, that’s why it’s said, it’s also because of that cause and effect.
In short, the five skandhas are suffering, so it is said that this dharma is extraordinary, dangerous, sick, destructive, corrupted by disease, old, unstable, unreliable, separated, so it is said that the root of the five skandhas is suffering.
Dear sage, the past time is the truth of suffering, the future time, friend, is also the truth of suffering; The present time, this sage, is also the truth of suffering. That is something that is certain, not crazy, not deluded, as if there is something consistent with the certainty of truth, this sage, this is in accordance with your certainty of truth. This, sage, is your knowledge, your understanding, your understanding, your attainment, your suitability, such is your enlightenment of the truth. Dear sage, that’s why it’s called Emperor.
Dear sage, what is called the Noble Truth of suffering? Dear sage, either human beings have six internal words in the body (six internal senses), of which if anyone has it first and has access, it is called Practice. Thus, the same goes for the self and the external body. The same goes for consciousness, wings, knowledge, actions, craving, and existence.
Dear sage, humans have cravings for the six realms: Earth, water, fire, wind, space and consciousness. If that person loves first, is close, and arises, that is the Practice.
So what to do? If someone desires his wife, children, servants, relatives, land, house, seat, or sleeping furniture, that person creates karma with prior love, closeness, contact, and desire. You should know that this origin of craving is the Noble Truth of suffering. Dear sage, the past was also the origin of love, this is the Noble Truth of suffering. Dear sage, in the future it will also be this origin of love which is the Noble Truth of suffering, in the present time it will also be this origin of love which is the Noble Truth of suffering. We must know how to speak as it is, as it exists on its own, without being crazy or deluded. Dear sage, the ultimate truth is the true truth, the true truth. This, sage, is the truth of sainthood, your contact, view, understanding, attainment, corresponding to enlightenment, sage, so it is called the Noble Truth of suffering.
Dear sage, what is the Noble Truth of the End of suffering? Dear sage, people have six things in themselves but do not receive, understand clearly, do not contact, have cut off, have let go, separated, have ended, no longer longing for, have destroyed, calm, that is the cessation of suffering. The same goes for the external body, the form of consciousness, the body, thoughts, thoughts, thoughts, and delusions.
Dear sage, humans have six realms but do not love them, they are: Earth, water, fire, wind, emptiness and consciousness. Thanks to such clear understanding, we should not come into contact with each other, cut off, let go, give up, change, and not use, that is the cessation of suffering. If a person has no prior love for children, houses, servants, servants, fields, rooms, inns, furniture, or profits from trading, and is completely free from attachment, there will be no intention of closeness, and there will be desire and desire, so knowing that the end of this love is the end of suffering. Dear sage, in the past, if love ended, suffering would also end. Dear sage, it is the same in the future life. In the present life, if craving is ended, suffering will also be ended. Sage, then, that truth is unchangeable, unenchanted, and unintelligible. With that ultimate truth, suffering immediately ends. Dear sage, that is called the Truth (that is, the certainty).
Dear sage, what is called the truth of suffering and suffering? Dear sage, there are eight paths:
1. Direct insight;
2. Direct treatment;
3. Direct language;
4. Direct practice;
5. Direct karma;
6. Vehicle duty;
7. Direct mindfulness;
8. Direct concentration.
Dear sage, what is Direct View? That is when the wise and virtuous disciple contemplates that suffering is suffering, practice is practice, cessation is cessation, the path is the way, discernment is discerned, and dharma is contemplated; Being able to receive thoughts, being able to visualize, being able to imagine, being able to experience actions, is called Direct View; You can also observe your past creations, also meditate on morality, or see actions as regrettable (disaster), see non-doing as tranquility (Nirvana is cessation), meditate on the non-before, and be liberated from discrimination, contemplate the form of action, action of mind in the dharma, contemplate the form of non-separation in attachment to feeling, called the right view, called the Noble Truth of morality.
Dear sage, what is Righteousness (right thinking)? That is the wise and virtuous disciple who contemplates that suffering is suffering, practice is practice, cessation is cessation, the way is the way, if you have thought about something then now remember it, call it Direct control, also contemplate the things of your previous life, or learn to meditate on actions and see them as disasters, non-doing is tranquility, meditate on nothing before, liberate your mind, contemplate only the things you wish for, meditate on actions according to your actions. That’s called direct rule, that’s the moral truth.
Dear sage, what is Right Speech? That is, the wise and virtuous disciple contemplates that suffering is suffering, practice is practice, cessation is cessation, the way is the way, stopping the four faults of the mouth, and other evil actions of the mouth, from there the separation, stopping mutual separation, refraining from doing things that are not worth doing, from committing sins are now innocent. That is called Direct Speech, also contemplating the actions of the past, penetrating the conduct, practicing reciting the path, seeing that actions are disasters, stopping the mind, using undoing to overcome the world, being at peace, stopping the mind, using nothing before to liberate the mind, discriminating, eliminating the four evil actions of the mouth, renouncing, stopping, separating, clinging, not saying what should not be said, doing things that should be sinful then being innocent, that is called Direct Speech, called the Noble Truth of Ethics.
Dear sage, why is it called Righteousness? That is the wise and virtuous disciple who contemplates that suffering is suffering, practice is practice, cessation is cessation, path is path, to eliminate the three evil actions of the body, and also eliminate other evil actions of the body. Thanks to that, separation and attachment are stopped, things that are not worth doing are not done, and things that should be sinful are not done. That is called Direct conduct, also observing the deeds of the past life, also following the moral conduct of contemplating worldly conduct, seeing regret, stopping, using non-doing to overcome the world, seeing tranquility, thanks to non-doing the world to go before, attain liberation of the mind, gain contemplation to eliminate the three evil deeds of the body, also to eliminate the evil deeds of the body, renounce, suspend, separate, cling, not do what should not be done, from sin to be innocent. That is called Righteous Conduct, that is called the Noble Truth.
Dear sage, why is it called Righteous Karma? That is the virtuous sage and disciple who contemplates that suffering is suffering, practice is practice, cessation is cessation, path is path, meditates on things that should not be sought, should not be done, how much animal karma is born, and due to evil deeds, wants to let himself be born. That’s called evil karma. Also contemplate the actions of the past life, through the conduct of attaining enlightenment, contemplate the conduct of the world, contemplate regret, stop, save the world, attain non-doing, contemplate the natural state of suspension, save the world before the past, attain liberation of mind, thanks to which you should not seek what should not be sought, with many karma of animals, practice to give birth to one’s own life, then renounce, suspend, separate, grasp, do not do, thus what should be sinful is innocent, that is called is Righteous Action, called the Truth of Morality.
Dear sage, what is Righteous Means? That is the wise and virtuous disciple who contemplates that suffering is suffering, practice is practice, cessation is cessation, the way is the way, has been diligent, has been expedient, has renounced, has established concentration, has been able, has developed, has rejoiced, does not destroy, does not destroy the mindfulness of right concentration. That is called Righteousness of Means. Also observe the deeds of the past life, thanks to which the blessings of contemplation and contemplation of the world can be seen as regretful, stopped, saving the world, achieving non-doing and tranquility, thanks to the former, attaining enlightenment, observing the mind of liberation, having been diligent, having made means, having renounced, having established concentration, having developed, having rejoiced, not destroying, reciting the right mindfulness. That is called Righteousness and Right Means, called the Truth of Ethics.
Dear sage, what is Direct Mindfulness? That is the virtuous sage and disciple who contemplates that suffering is suffering, practice is practice, cessation is cessation, the way is the way, forever reciting, reciting again and again, not forgetting, saying little, not leaving the thought, then it is called Direct mindfulness. Also observe the deeds of the past life, thanks to that you can be virtuous, meditate on the worldly conduct that is irrepentant, take control, save the world, be undoing and natural, see only the virtue of Nothingness as liberating the mind, meditate, remember, by thinking, reciting forever without forgetting, rarely speaking, reciting and abandoning desires. That is called Direct Mindfulness, called the Truth of Ethics.
Dear sage, what is Direct Right Concentration? That is the virtuous sage and disciple who contemplates that suffering is suffering, practice is practice, cessation is cessation, the way is the way, because the mind is stopped so it does not move, does not wander, thanks to the meditation, the thoughts are single-minded, that is called Direct Right Concentration. Also contemplate the deeds of the past life, from which the thoughts are liberated, see the actions of the worldly world and regret, accept, save the world, attain non-doing, see the attainment of nothing before, thanks to which the mind is freed from causes and conditions, direct the contemplation towards the cessation of thoughts, right peace, single-mindedness, not being confused, not wandering, the mind only concentrates on two thoughts. That is called Direct Right Concentration, called the Truth of Ethics.
Dear sage, the past time was the Noble Truth of suffering cessation, the future time is also the practice of the Holy Truth, the present time is also the practice of cessation of suffering, true, not lost, not confused, the true truth, the true basis, the true virtue of the Noble Truth. Dear sage, this true truth, thanks to seeing it, one can be liberated, so it is called the cessation of suffering. By practicing like this, it is called the Truth of Ethics. Therefore it should be said: “When suffering ends, you will see the path. Buddha said it, you must practice forever.”
Venerable Sariputta said so, the Bhikkhus received the teachings and followed them.
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