The Four Noble Truths: Through My Lens

By Chessie Roberts

The teachings on the Four Noble Truths explain the nature of human suffering, what causes it and how it can be overcome. These are seen as the core of the Buddhist philosophy. This is my interpretation of them and what they mean for humanity.

The first Noble Truth states that “Life means suffering.” Why do you think that might be? It is because we are humans and it is in our nature to be imperfect that is how we learn why we are here. Because we were put here to learn, teach and experience life on this plane of existence, we create pain and drama for ourselves. We create and experience aches, pains, fatigue, heart breaks, frustration, and all the wonderful spectrum of physical tribulation. These come at us in different ways and amounts. Conversely, the other end of the spectrum are the good feelings that are created and experienced, joy, happiness, comfort, and being at ease in our own skin. The good/bad news here is that this is life and it ebbs and flows, nothing is here to stay. That is our sorrow and our bliss, ride it, flow with it, be in your now because, as with all things, one day you will move on, into a different reality, a different flow.

The second Noble Truth tells us that “The origin of suffering is attachment.” here is where our early training and our ignorance join forces to create a grasping hold on to things that aren’t really as important as you have been taught they are, things that are just passing through your life. This includes physical things, but it goes so much deeper. These deeper things are things such as ideas, notions, perceptions, truths that are, in actuality, not so. Your ignorance (don’t be offended by the word it just means that you don’t know right now, not that you can’t learn and understand) at this point is about your lack of knowledge about how the mind attaches itself to these impermanent, and transitory things. As humans strive to acquire money and friends, so you feel popular and famous, so you will be remembered and looked upon in awe, you lose sight of the fact that it all is fleeting, here today, gone tomorrow. When that happens, suffering occurs. You also become attached to your self-image, the one you have in your head. You are in fact transitory and fleeting as well.

The third Noble Truth is that “Cessation of suffering is attainable.” Well how does that happen you may ask. It is stopped by letting go of attachments… achieving what I refer to as “the divine state on not giving a damn.” Sounds harsh I know, but what it means is to stop your emotional investment in things and outcomes. Stop creating and investing in drama, stop worrying about things that others are doing, thinking, believing, feeling or saying (“Worry is like a rocking chair, they both give you something to do but they don’t get you anywhere.”- English proverb) You may feel you are unable to do this letting go thing but I know, if you decide to do it and work on it, you can. (“If you think you can’t or think you can you’re right.” Henry Ford)

The fourth and last Noble Truth states that “There is a path to the cessation of suffering.” It is the Noble Eightfold Path;

1) right view

2) right intention

3) right speech

4) right action

5) right livelihood

6) right effort

7) right mindfulness

8) right concentration.

What these eight paths are referring to is a gradual awareness of the call to action to improve yourself. A balance between what you were and where you want to be, and this path leads to the end of your birth, life, death, rebirth cycle. You raise your ‘self’ (soul if you will) from a state of trying to find your way, up to achieving your goal of returning to, reuniting with Source, where you want to be. Now I tell you here that this journey is not quick nor easy. You may have to return to human form many times before you get all the lessons learned and internalized, however, as you reach higher, you learn. As you learn you grow, as you grow you ‘become’ and these things of suffering will mean less and less. You will want them less and less and you will achieve higher and higher levels of existence… all the way to the top.

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Chessie Roberts is a Singer/song Writer, Spiritual Teacher, Mind-set Mentor, Meditation Coach, Author, Lecturer and the Founder/Creator of Evolution of Self; Journey into Body, Mind, Spirit Balance. Her experience with severe,crippling arthritis was her catalyst to share her healing, experiential, self-improvement program with those who wish to rediscover their balance of Body, Mind, Spirit. Her ability to put things into an easy to learn package allows participants to fine tune their healing intentions, identify personal goals and clarify the path they wish to devise in order to heal themselves and grow into their own Spiritual Evolution. You can find Chessie’s programs and products at www.evolutionofselfforme.com and her music at www.archersmeadow.com.