The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism

Interview about Religion

Buddhism is a way of life that spread from the East into the West and gained popularity in the US in the latter half of the 20th century. Some argue that it is not actually a religion since it does not admit of the existence of any God. However, its focus on meditation and the goal being to reach a state of no-self has made many see it as an important part of their life, if not a religious experience or way (Giles, 1993). I chose my conversation partner from work because I knew he had a different belief from my own.

My conversation’s partners beliefs were not characterized by explicit faith in the story of the Buddha but rather in a pragmatic appreciation of what Buddhism offers one in a materialistic society where consumerism dominates and the rat race can make people chase after empty dreams that only cause more pain and suffering. As a Buddhist, he uses meditation as a way to transcend the rat race and maintain a peace and purity of mind and spirit. He does not believe in life after death but believes that by following Buddhism he can reduce the amount of pain he experiences or causes and increase the amount of love he has to give. His belief system is that when a person is self-centered he is falling for the illusion of the universe; when he is embracing no-self, he is rising out of the illusion. His goal as a Buddhist is to break free from the ego, which traps a person in the illusion. He wants to reach Nirvana, which is freedom from the illusion where there is no more suffering (Loy, 1982).

In terms of community, my conversation partner did really give a sense of having one as a Buddhist. For him, his beliefs were something he practiced individually. He did not go to any temple or church. He learned meditation from watching videos and YouTube and reading books.

The central myth of Buddhism is the story of Buddha, which focuses on his renunciation of the things of this world, which prevented him from breaking free from suffering. Once he transcended his attachments and his own self, he reached Nirvana—total Enlightenment. Although my conversation partner did not believe in this myth, he did appreciate its narrative value and he appreciated the rites that are part of the ritual of meditation as promoted in Buddhism. In terms of ethics, the pillars of Buddhism serve as the ethical foundation: these are the Four Noble Truths, and they include the eightfold path that takes one away from suffering (Mason, 2016). The truths are: suffering exists, and is caused by craving, but suffering can be ceased, and the eightfold path is what ceases it.

Emotional experiences that my conversation partner described were positive: a feeling of rebirth, of bliss and inner peace—these were the primary emotions he experienced. He felt calm and serene. However, he noted that he was still making ground and that he had not achieved total Nirvana yet.

Material expressions of Buddhism in his life were little statues of Buddha in his apartment and a yin and yang poster on his wall. He burned incense and lit candles when meditating. He also listened to meditation music. In terms of sacredness, he did not really consider anything to be of particular holiness and did not really revere anything or worship anywhere—so this element was missing.

My conversation partner had committed himself to Buddhism and did not have any conflicts between the beliefs of the tradition and his own personal beliefs. He was not planning on joining a Buddhist monastery or becoming a total ascetic—so in that regard he was still growing in his commitment, but he did believe in the Four Noble Truths and in the eightfold path. He did believe all of the world was an illusion and that so long as one is attached to it one is going to suffer.

I think that the theory of the origin of religions that best explains Buddhism is the inherent need theory, which posits that there is a need in a person to explain through some system why there is suffering and what one can do to rise above it all. Shermer goes into this to some degree in his articles and books on skepticism. But I think that the inherent need within the individual to understand why there is suffering in this life no matter what one does is the main driver.

Challenges that my partner identified that his religious tradition faces in the modern world with respect to questions of justice and social justice are that today Buddhism faces an anti-Eastern trend in the US. It also depends upon a society being willing to view all of life as an illusion, and most people in the West simply are not interested in doing that. But even Buddhism is not necessarily concerned with social justice but more with self-renunciation as the basis of love. In my opinion, Buddhism does not provide enough in its tradition to respond positively to the need for social justice. It is a much more passive way than other religions, particularly Christianity, which has many active approaches to promoting social justice. Buddhism is more of a mental way with a focus on meditation. The tradition is focused primarily on behavior (orthopraxis), and the object is not the community but rather the self. The self is the main target, and the no-self is the aim.

My partner’s beliefs and practices are similar to my own in that I also meditate; but they are different in that I do not meditate on the great nothingness of existence but rather on the God Who created all and Who died for my sins. I pray to my God, whereas the Buddhist does not pray because there is no conception of a God-being in Buddhism. In my religion, Christianity, we are taught about the Fall—the cause of suffering—and the way back to Heaven through Christ. Another key difference is that my conversation partner has no temple or church, but I do have a church and I go there for communion, prayer and worship. I receive spiritual grace and support, whereas my friend relies on his own meditative journey to transcend existence. His aim is nothingness, whereas my aim is union with God. Yet at the same time, we both had similar views of what it means to love and be charitable to others. In Buddhism it is considered wise to show benevolence to others and to renounce the self so that others may be happy. This is true in Christianity as well, particularly in the story of the Good Samaritan and in Christ’s message to turn the other cheek.