Beliefs & Commandments of Buddhism- Joseph Gaer

Today the basic beliefs of Buddhism go back to the Wise Man of the Sakyas, and begin with his recognition of the Four Noble Truths:

The First Noble Truth is that old age is suffering; illness is suffering; death is suffering; being exposed to what one dislikes is suffering; being separated from what one likes is suffering; failure to realize one’s ambitions and desires is suffering.

The Second Noble Truth is that suffering comes from the desire for being which leads from birth to rebirth, together with lust and desire, which find gratification here and there; the desire for being, the desire for pleasure and the desire for power, these are the sources of suffering.

The Third Noble Truth is that suffering can be dissolved with the complete annihilation of desire, separating oneself from it and completely expelling it.

The Fourth Noble Truth is that the cessation of all desire can be gained by following the Eightfold Path.

© `What the Great Religions Believe’ by Joseph Gaer, published (1963) by Dodd, Mead & Company, 71 Fifth Avenue, New York 10003.

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