Lesson video

Hello, my name's Ms. Ramalli, and welcome to today's RE lesson, "The Four Noble Truths: suffering," which forms part of our unit on "Buddhism: Beliefs and teachings." Okay, let's begin.

Today's lesson outcome is I can explain different types and causes of suffering, why this is important, and how it influences Buddhists today.

To help with today's learning, there are five keywords.

Our keywords are dukkha, craving, the three poisons, anicca, and tanha.

Dukkha is a belief that all life includes suffering and unsatisfactoriness.

Craving is the ongoing state of desire which causes suffering, grasping at things we enjoy or want.

The three poisons are the causes of dukkha that affect all beings.

Those are ignorance, greed, and hatred.

Anicca is one of the three marks of existence, meaning nothing is permanent.

And tanha is a cause of suffering meaning thirst or craving.

So today's lesson, "The Four Noble Truths: suffering," takes two parts.

So we're going to begin by learning about different types and causes of suffering, followed by the importance and influence of these teachings.

So, let's begin the first part of our lesson by understanding different types and causes of suffering.

Dukkha is an essential concept within Buddhism.

In English, it translates as suffering or unsatisfactoriness.

The Buddha left the palace and his life of luxury to search for the answer to the reasons that people suffer.

Dukkha is one of the three marks of existence and the first of the Four Noble Truths.

Let's complete a check for understanding.

What do Buddhists mean by dukkha? A, a belief that all life includes suffering and unsatisfactoriness, B, a cause of suffering meaning thirst or craving, or C, causes of dukkha that affect all beings, ignorance, greed, and hatred.

Pause the video and then press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Well done if you selected A.

When Buddhists refer to the term dukkha, they mean a belief that all life includes suffering and unsatisfactoriness.

After the Buddha became enlightened, he delivered a sermon to five ascetics in the Deer Park near Benares, now modern-day Varanasi in India.

The sermon is also known as the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta.

It is one of the most important teachings because it outlines core concepts, including the Four Noble Truths.

The Majjhima Nikaya is a collection of suttas in the Pali Canon, representing the Buddha's teachings.

It says, "What I teach is suffering and the cessation of suffering." So, what I'd like you to do here is pause the video and with your partner discuss what does cessation mean and what can Buddhists learn from this quote? Once you're ready to check your answers, press play.

Okay, fantastic discussions.

Welcome back, everybody.

Well, by the term cessation, it means to stop or end, so well done if you got that correct.

And Buddhists learn that the Buddha's Dhamma, his teachings, is the truth and the truth of suffering and how to stop or overcome it.

Fantastic if you said something along those lines in your discussions.

At the sermon, Buddha spoke of seven states of dukkha.

These are birth, old age, sickness, death, sorrow and despair, contact with displeasing things, and not getting what you desire.

So here we're gonna complete a check for understanding.

So the Buddha taught about seven states of dukkha, this meaning suffering.

Give one state of dukkha.

So for example, you could say old age.

I would like you now to have a go, and I would like you to give another state of dukkha.

Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Okay, welcome back, everyone.

So, you may have said for your answer, not getting what you desire, but there are other possible answers.

So you may have said birth, sickness, sorrow and despair, contact with displeasing things, or death.

Well done, everybody.

So in Buddhism, there are different types of dukkha, there are different types of suffering.

There is dukkha-dukkhata.

So for example, that involves physical and mental pain.

Viparinama-dukkha, which could come as a result of change and impermanence.

So for example, somebody might suffer if they have to move house.

And samkhara-dukkha, and this refers to suffering that is caused by people's attachments and cravings.

Buddhism teaches that fabrication, or sankhara, causes suffering.

So fabrications can be thought of as our mind, words, and actions, so for example, our thoughts, our emotions, and our habits.

And these are essentially our mental formations, so it's how we see ourself and the world around us.

These fabrications can cause suffering because they are often based on ignorance.

We don't always see things as they really are.

And these fabrications are impermanent, and when people cling to the thoughts, it causes them to suffer.

Buddhists will look to the teachings of the Buddha to know what good morals are and how to behave.

In the first verse of the Dhammapada, it says, "If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him, as the wheel follows the foot of the ox that draws the carriage." So I would like you to pause the video here and with your partner discuss this question, what can a Buddhist learn from this verse about how to demonstrate good ethics, also known as sila? Okay, pause the video here and press play when you're ready to reflect on your answers.

Okay, fantastic discussions, everyone.

Welcome back.

So what can a Buddhist learn from this verse about how to demonstrate good ethics? Well, a Buddhist learns that if they act or speak with negative or malicious thoughts, suffering will inevitably follow them.

It is important to understand and practise good ethics to achieve enlightenment and reach Nirvana.

Let's complete a check for understanding.

Which of the following type of suffering is viparinama-dukkha? A, it's caused as a result of change and impermanence, B, it's caused by physical and mental pain, or C, it's caused by attachments and cravings.

Pause the video and press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Okay, well done if you selected A.

Viparinama-dukkha is caused as a result of change and impermanence.

So the second of the Four Noble Truths, known as samudaya, also explores the causes of suffering.

The Buddha taught that tanha is one of the main causes of suffering and links to cravings.

According to the Buddha, there are three types of craving, sense desires, a desire to be something we are not, and a desire to get rid of something.

Sam, Sofia, and Alex try to understand the different types of tanha.

Sam asks, "Sometimes I crave chocolate.

What type of tanha is that?" Sofia responds, "Tanha is linked to your senses, taste, and smell, so that is a sense craving.

I crave to be famous." Alex says, "Craving to be famous is a desire to be something you are not.

I wish my foot would stop hurting me!" What type of tanha is Alex experiencing? Pause the video and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Well done if you said Alex is experiencing a desire to get rid of something.

Well done.

True or false? The statement "I wish I was taller" is an example of a sense desire.

Pause the video and then press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Well done if you said that statement is false.

This example of tanha is a desire to be something they are not.

Dukkha, or suffering, is caused by physical or mental pain, so an example of that would be bullying.

Impermanence, or aniccia, so if somebody has to move home and perhaps they might not want to do that, that can cause them to suffer.

If a person has been on a holiday and they've had a wonderful time, when they get back home, they might experience holiday blues, so those feelings of longing to want to be back on holiday may cause them to suffer.

Linn, a Theravada Buddhist, explains the importance of breaking the habit of craving.

Linn says, "My goal is to achieve enlightenment so I can break free from samsara and reach nibbana, the state of liberation, peace, and happiness.

Being in samsara is what causes me to suffer.

The Buddha taught that when people have a pleasant feeling, they become attached to it, or an unpleasant feeling makes them want to escape it.

These responses are what leads to dukkha." True or false? According to Buddhist Dhamma, attachments cause dukkha and keep people in the cycle of samsara.

Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Well done if you said that statement is true.

According to most Buddhists, the three poisons, as featured on the Tibetan Wheel of Life, are the main causes of suffering.

So the three poisons are ignorance, greed, and hatred.

How do you think ignorance, greed, and hatred can cause suffering? With your partner, have a discussion.

Pause the video, and then when you're ready to move on with the lesson, press play.

The three poisons, as shown on the Tibetan Wheel of Life, well, these trap people in the cycle of samsara and prevent them from achieving enlightenment.

And here on the screen we have an image of the illustration of the Tibetan Wheel of Life.

And in the middle, in the centre of the wheel, we can see the three poisons.

So remember, the three poisons are ignorance, greed, and hatred, and they are there pictured at the centre because they represent what are keeping people trapped in the cycle of samsara and preventing them from achieving enlightenment.

The Dhammapada is a source of wisdom and authority for most Buddhists.

And in verse five of the Dhammapada, it states, "Hatred is never appeased, meaning pacified, by hatred in this world.

By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased.

This is a law eternal." So I would like you to consider what this verse teaches Buddhists about hatred and how this verse links to the three poisons.

Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to reflect on your answers.

Okay, welcome back, everybody.

So what does this verse teach Buddhists about hatred, and how does it link to the three poisons? Well, this verse teaches Buddhists that peace and resolution come not from escalating conflict but from responding to negativity with compassion and non-violence.

And this links to the three poisons because hatred is one of the poisons, showing that responding to hatred with more anger and hatred only creates more suffering.

Andeep is unsure how the three poisons cause suffering, so he asks Sofia, Lucas, and Aisha for their views.

Andeep asks, "I'm unsure how the three poisons cause suffering.

What do you think?" Aisha says, "I think greed makes people steal and cause the victims to suffer." Lucas says, "Ignorance is a lack of understanding and causes greed and hatred." And Sofia says, "Hatred causes devastation, like war and death." Let's complete a check for understanding.

Which of the following is the correct definition of the three poisons? A, a belief that all life includes suffering and unsatisfactoriness, B, a cause of suffering meaning thirst or craving, or C, causes of dukkha that affect all beings, ignorance, greed, and hatred.

Pause the video and press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Okay, well done if you selected C.

Causes of dukkha that affect all beings, ignorance, greed, and hatred, is the correct definition of the three poisons.

So now we're gonna pause the lesson and complete our first practise task.

You are going to describe Buddhist beliefs about the causes of suffering.

So, in this first part of the lesson, we've looked at a number of different causes of suffering according to the Buddha.

So here is some guidance on how you might like to structure your answer.

So you're going to make two points and develop both of the points.

And for each part of your answer, you should include a range of religious and specialist terms. And for at least one part of your answer, you should use a source of wisdom and authority.

Now, this could be an exact or paraphrased quote or a general teaching from a named source.

For example, the Dhammapada.

And then remember to accurately apply this to the point and the question.

So when you're using a source of wisdom and authority, make sure you apply it to the point that you've made and the question.

Good luck completing the practise task.

Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Okay, welcome back, everybody.

So, you were asked to answer the question, describe Buddhist beliefs about the causes of suffering.

And for at least one paragraph, you should have referred to a source of wisdom and authority and accurately applied this to the point and the question.

So, your answer might be similar to this: One Buddhist belief about the causes of suffering is that there are three main types of craving or tanha.

This includes sensory desires or cravings and a craving to be something they are not.

If Buddhists stop craving, then they eliminate suffering.

Another Buddhist belief is that suffering is caused by the three poisons, greed, hatred, and ignorance.

And in the Dhammapada, it states that hatred can never be appeased by hatred, only by non-hatred.

This shows that hatred only creates suffering, and Buddhists should respond with compassion.

Fantastic, well done on all of your hard work completing the first practise task.

So that moves us on to the second part of our lesson today where we're gonna consider the importance and influence of the teachings on the types and causes of suffering.

Jun asks, "As a Buddhist, Roshan, why are the Buddha's teachings on suffering important to you?" Roshan says, "The teachings on tanha are important to me because they influence me to lead a simpler lifestyle.

I try to minimise my material possessions.

So I believe in anicca, the impermanent nature of all things.

Material possessions only bring temporary satisfaction, and there is pressure to acquire more and more things, which I believe can lead to stress and dissatisfaction." Linn is a Theravada Buddhist living in the UK.

She explains why the teachings on suffering are important to her.

So Linn says, "The teachings are important to me because they influence me to not always give in to tanha, my sensory cravings, although this can sometimes be a challenge, especially when I know that I shouldn't overindulge by eating too much chocolate!" True or false? Tanha means the cause of suffering meaning thirst or craving.

Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Okay, well done if you said that statement is true.

Niti is a Theravada Buddhist monk, and Ting is a Mahayana Buddhist monk.

They discuss how they are influenced by the teachings.

Niti says, "I'm influenced by trying to avoid the three poisons.

I believe that ignorance is the cause of all suffering, and it is what keeps people from escaping the cycle of samsara." Ting says, "I agree with you.

It is also important to remember anicca, that nothing is permanent, and therefore I shouldn't get attached to thoughts or feelings.

I know these are always changing, and attachments can cause suffering.

This is how it influences me." Let's complete a check for understanding.

Which one of the following is not a way Buddhists would be influenced by Buddha's teachings on suffering? A, avoid attachments to cravings, B, being attached to emotions; for example, greed, C, living a simple lifestyle, or D, avoiding the three poisons.

Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Okay, well done if you selected B as the correct answer.

Being attached to emotions, for example, greed, is not a way that a Buddhist would be influenced by the Buddha's teachings on suffering.

Okay, so now we're gonna complete our second and final practise task.

Lucas has written two short paragraphs in answer to the question, "Explain the importance of knowing the causes of suffering for Buddhists." Extend his answer by completing the table, linking each belief to a source of authority and explaining its influence.

So Lucas's answer starts by saying, "For many Buddhists, knowing the causes of suffering helps them reduce suffering, dukkha, for themselves and others." You then need to add a source of authority.

So for example, you could say "it is supported by" and name the source and state what it says, and then explain what it shows, so linking that to the belief.

Then explain the influence.

What is the impact of this belief? Lucas's second point says, "In addition, knowing that the three poisons are the root of all suffering means they can be avoided." Again, you need to add a source of authority, so by stating "it is supported by" where you name the source and state what to say and then link it to the belief, and then continue on by saying what is the impact of this belief.

Good luck completing this practise task.

Pause the video and then press play when you're ready to check your answers.

Okay, welcome back, everybody.

Time to check your answers.

So your answers could have said, so Luke's answer was: For many Buddhists, knowing the causes of suffering helps them reduce suffering, or dukkha, for themselves and others.

It is supported by the Buddha's teachings in the Dhammapada "What I teach is suffering and the cessation of suffering," which shows if a Buddhist follows the Buddha's Dhamma, suffering, dukkha, can be reduced.

The impact of this belief is many Buddhists will avoid cravings and attachments.

This is because of anicca, nothing is permanent, and attachments cause dukkha.

Lucas's second point: In addition, knowing that the three poisons are the root of all suffering means they can be avoided.

The source of authority, you could have said it is supported by the teaching of the Buddha "Hatred is never appeased by hatred," which shows the importance of acting with compassion and non-violence.

And the impact of this belief is many Buddhists will avoid the three poisons, ignorance, greed, and hatred.

This is what keeps them from escaping the cycle of samsara.

Fantastic, well done on all of your hard work today completing the practise tasks.

So that brings us to the end of today's lesson on the Four Noble Truths and suffering.

Here's a summary of our learning today.

The Sermon at Benares was a teaching point used by the Buddha to help people understand dukkha, suffering.

The Buddha taught seven states of dukkha.

Tanha and the three poisons are causes of dukkha.

Change and impermanence, anicca, are also significant contributors to the suffering we experience.

And the Buddha's teachings on the causes of dukkha influence Buddhists.

So for example, to stop cravings.

Fantastic, well done on all your hard work in today's lesson.

And thank you for joining me.

Goodbye.