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The Fourfold Noble Truth (Catvari Aryasatyani)

The Fourfold Noble Truth is the central doctrine of the Buddhism. In order to
explain the process through which the Shakyamuni Buddha reached enlightenment,
he showed how reality really is and how to solve the problems as the Fourfold Truth.
It is a practical view point of the concept of the “specific conditionality” or “this and
that conditionality” 此縁性 (idampratyayata). The Fourfold Noble Truth is the first
doctrine Shakyamuni Buddha taught right after he attained enlightenment. Those
four Truths are:
1. The Truth of Suffering (dukkha satya)
2. The Truth of the Cause of Suffering (samudaya satya)
3. The Truth of the Cessation of Suffering (nirodha satya)
4. The Truth of the Path leading to the Cessation of the cause of suffering
(marga satya), i.e., the Noble Eightfold Path (aryastangika marga)

The Noble Eightfold Path leads one to a state of no suffering, which is called nirvana.
The eight divisions are;
1. correct view (correct understanding of the Truth of the Cause of
Suffering)
2. correct thinking (the ability to reflect on the Truth of the Cause of
Suffering)
3. correct speech (no false statement)
4. correct action
5. correct livelihood
6. correct endeavor)
7. correct memory (memory of things beneficial to enlightenment)
8. correct meditation

One can reach to the state of no suffering by attaining enlightenment, which is
reached by following the Noble Eightfold Path.

Shakyamuni Buddha examined each of the Fourfold Truth from the three turns of
the law wheel 三転法輪;
1. indicative ( knowing postulation and definition) 示
2. hortative (suffering should be diagnosed) 観
3. evidential (I have overcome suffering) 証

Through the total of twelve processes 三転十二行相, which are the application of
the three turns of the law wheel, The Buddha realized the true awareness of reality
and reached to the Utmost True Awakening.

What is the origin of suffering? It arises from the worldly passions or ignorance.
Through the concept of “specific conditionality” Shakyamuni Buddha taught the
nature of dependent arising with the relation with others. The specific conditionality
is often expressed as follows [Wikipedia]:
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When this is, that is

From the arising of this comes the arising of that.
When this isn’t, that isn’t
From the cessation of this comes the cessation of that

Here, “this” refers to worldly passion or ignorance, and “that” refers to suffering.

The dependent arising 縁起 (pratitya-samutpaada) is simply expressed as “any
phenomenon arises as the result of various causes and conditions”. This doctrine of
dependent arising is the foundation of Buddhism.

The structure of the cause of suffering is composed as the twelve linked chain of
dependent arising. This doctrine has a systematic structure to explain dependent
arising. The divisions of the twelve-linked chain of dependent arising are as follows:

1. ignorance, which is the cause of all illusion , 無明（avidya）
2. actions produced by the preceding, 行（samskara）
3. consciousness, 識 which is the first consciousness after the conception
takes place in the womb, (vijnana )
4. mental functions and matter, 名色 (nama-rupa)
5. the five organs and the mind, 六処 (sad-ayatana)
6. contact, 触 (sparsa)
7. perception, 受 (vedana)
8. desire, 愛 (trsna)
9. attachment, 取 (upadana)
10. existence, which along with trsuna and vedana causes the future reward,
有 (bhava)
11. birth, 生 (jati)
12. old age and death, 老死 (jara-marana)

Avidaya and samskara belongs to the past life and are the causes of the present life,
vijnana through vedana are the present result of avidaya and samskara, trsna
through bhava are the present causes for the future jati and jara-marana. This
arrangement is known as sanze nijju (the three worlds; past, present, and future;
and two levels of cause and effect; past cause and present effect, present cause and
future effect)