Problem Solving From The Perspective View of The Four Noble

Truths

Lectured by Venerable Paññajota

Every one incessantly wishes to become richer and happier. However, we experience
difficulties and problems throughout their lives. Day by day, hundreds and hundreds of new
problems arise: environmental pollution, population problems, unemployment, terrorism,
poverty. In brief, the whole human society is in a state of chaos and few understand where
these challenges are coming from and how to respond to them. Actually, These problems are
solved by Buddhist philosophy and understanding which is based on the 'Four Noble Truths'.
The Four Noble Truths function to diagnose the human problem of suffering and finding the
solution of the problems and it is a medical treatment one must follow in order to cure the
disease. In this assignment, I would like to discuss about how to approach the problem from
the perspective view of Four Noble Truth as far as I concerned.

Nowadays, many races exist on this earth and the way of life, religions, color of skins
also differ from each other. Some country are forced onto other and antipathy and strife arise
between countries. One country insists that only one's principle and religion is right, and
other country criticizes and reject other's as wrong, so that the disputes and distrusts will
continue to prevail. It will become impossible to live together. Disputes, distrust, conflict and
anxiety etc. are suffering or problem.

In reality, all living beings are searching for freedom and happiness. Identifying one
with others, we should not harm others. We should not take away other people's freedom.
This is the right view, the first factor of Noble Eightfold Path. By following the Noble
Eightfold Path, we can solve the problems and our social will be safe and satisfied to live.

According to the Buddhist teaching of the Four Noble Truth, we must first understand
what the problem of this situation is and then we find its cause in order to solve the problems.
Desire, hatred and delusion are the primary source of problem and these attitude are very
worse for society and we must change these bad attitudes into good attitudes.

As far as the root of the problems are concerned, we find that all the problems of
human beings arise from the consequence of man's desire (loba), hatred (dosa) and delusion
(moha). Man abuses world resources and produces nuclear weapons to destroy the other
countries. Man's extreme selfishness is responsible for these problems. It seems that there
would be no other way to solve these problems apart from changing hearts of human beings.
Mind is the seat of feelings and strong emotions. Anger and ill-will can be cooled down by
loving-kindness. Greed and misguided knowledge can be cooled down by generosity and
wisdom. Although Buddhism is an ethical teaching, people neglect human values and they
think that if they has no greed, their economic and livelihood were decline. This view is
called wrong view (Ditthi) in Buddhism.
 Indeed, desire, hatred and delusion are poisons and the main roots of every suffering.
All the people around the world are suffered because of these three main roots. To terminate
the suffering, these three roots must be transformed into positive counterpart: greed into
generosity, ill will into loving-kindness, delusion into wisdom.

In addition, we must have the Right Effort, the sixth fact of the eightfold path, which
lead to the end of problem. What is the Right Effort? The Right Effort is that we recognize
others' position, accept and help each other without harming so that mutual trust arises and a
peaceful society comes into being. The rich should be share his fortune with them by
returning it to the society, Such society where people are united brings smiles and peaceful
because extreme imbalance of wealth and unfairness brings only jealousy and hatred, create
sadness and pain. But we have to take time in building good society as it is difficult to revive
it to its original state of trust when the society falls into the state of strife, plunder and
collapse.

Since we are human beings, we cannot live solely in our society. Likewise, every
country live in inter-relationship. If we pursue only the profit and conveniences, the
relationship of coexistence will collapse and natural environment will also be destroyed.
Therefore, we have to preserve our society healthy for the future generation, who have
unlimited possibilities, and that enables all to live harmoniously, brightly and happily. Firstly,
we must solve and fix the problem. After solving the problem and having attained good
situation, we must keep that situation. Furthermore, we have to make more improvement of
this situation better and better. All of these process are done by the noble eightfold path: the
right attitude, the right thinking, the right speech, the right action, the right livelihood, the
right effort, the right mindfulness, the right concentration.

In conclusion, I discussed the solutions to the social problems presented based on the
Buddhist teaching, the Four Noble Truths. From the points of my view, the main roots of
problems are from hatred, delusion and greed. Personal problem can lead to social problem as
well. The means and ways to end the problem is to eradicate wrong view and selfiness by
following eightfold path, the Third Noble Truth. Moreover, I would like to advise people
trying to cultivate understanding each other. In this way, we can solve every problem.

Ashin Dhammapiya

18/DCUM/018