This episode is on the topic “By way of the Four Noble Truths”.
Season 3 of the Buddha’s Wisdom Podcast is based on the anthology structure provided in Bhikkhu Bodhi’s “In the Buddha’s Words - an anthology of discourses from the Pali Canon”. The translations from the original Pali are by Bhikkhu Bodhi and can be sourced from Sutta Central which uses a Creative Commons Licence for its translations.
Sutta 1 - The Truths of All The Buddhas
“Mendicants, whatever perfected ones, fully awakened Buddhas truly awaken—in the past, future, or present—all of them truly awaken to the four noble truths.
What four? The noble truths of suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering. Whatever perfected ones, fully awakened Buddhas truly awaken—in the past, future, or present—all of them truly awaken to the four noble truths.
That’s why you should practice meditation …”
SN 56:24
Sutta 2 - These Four Truths are Actual
“Mendicants, these four things are real, not unreal, not otherwise. What four? ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’ … These four things are real, not unreal, not otherwise.
That’s why you should practice meditation …”
SN 56:20
Sutta 3 - A Handful of Leaves
At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Vajjis at the village of Koṭi. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants: “Mendicants, due to not understanding and not penetrating four noble truths, both you and I have wandered and transmigrated for such a very long time.
What four? The noble truths of suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering. These noble truths of suffering, origin, cessation, and the path have been understood and comprehended. Craving for continued existence has been cut off; the leash to existence is ended; now there’ll be no more future lives.”
That is what the Buddha said. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:
“Because of not truly seeing the four noble truths,we have transmigrated for a long time from one rebirth to the next.
But now that these truths have been seen,the leash to existence is eradicated.The root of suffering is cut off,now there’ll be no more future lives.”
SN 56:21
Sutta 4 - The Precipice
At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain.
Then the Buddha said to the mendicants, “Come, mendicants, let’s go to Inspiration Peak for the day’s meditation.”
“Yes, sir,” they replied. Then the Buddha together with several mendicants went to Inspiration Peak.
A certain mendicant saw the big cliff there and said to the Buddha, “Sir, that big cliff is really big and scary. Is there any other cliff bigger and scarier than this one?”
“There is, mendicant.”
“But sir, what is it?”
“Mendicant, there are ascetics and brahmins who don’t truly understand about suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path. They take pleasure in choices that lead to rebirth, old age, and death, to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. Since they take pleasure in such choices, they continue to make them. Having made choices that lead to rebirth, old age, and death, to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress, they fall down the cliff of rebirth, old age, and death, of sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. They’re not freed from rebirth, old age, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. They’re not freed from suffering, I say.
There are ascetics and brahmins who truly understand about suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path. They don’t take pleasure in choices that lead to rebirth, old age, and death, to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. Since they don’t take pleasure in such choices, they stop making them. Having stopped making choices that lead to rebirth, old age, and death, to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress, they don’t fall down the cliff of rebirth, old age, and death, of sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. They’re freed from rebirth, old age, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. They’re freed from suffering, I say.
That’s why you should practice meditation …”
SN 56:42
Sutta 5 - Making the Breakthrough
“Mendicants, suppose someone were to say: ‘Without truly comprehending the noble truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path, I will completely make an end of suffering.’ That is not possible.
It’s as if someone were to say: ‘I’ll make a basket out of acacia leaves or pine needles or myrobalan leaves, and use it to carry water or ripe palmyra fruit.’ That is not possible. In the same way, suppose someone were to say: ‘Without truly comprehending the noble truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path, I will completely make an end of suffering.’ That is not possible.
But suppose someone were to say: ‘After truly comprehending the noble truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path, I will completely make an end of suffering.’ That is possible.
It’s as if someone were to say: ‘I’ll make a basket out of lotus leaves or flame-of-the-forest leaves or camel’s foot creeper leaves, and use it to carry water or ripe palmyra fruit.’ That is possible. In the same way, suppose someone were to say: ‘After truly comprehending the noble truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path, I will completely make an end of suffering.’ That is possible.
That’s why you should practice meditation …”
SN 56:32
Sutta 6 - The Destruction of the Taints
“Mendicants, I say that the ending of defilements is for one who knows and sees, not for one who does not know or see. For one who knows and sees what? The ending of defilements is for one who knows and sees suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path. The ending of the defilements is for one who knows and sees this.
That’s why you should practice meditation …”
SN 56:25