Living by the Four Noble Truths

The Four Noble Truths is one of the very first teachings given by the Buddha. It's also considered the essence of Buddhism. It's simple and short -- only four Chinese characters. Yet each one conveys profound truth and wisdom. And, best of all, it can be applied to our daily life to live a quality life.

The first noble truth is the identification of the origin of suffering. Meditate on the cause of all sufferings. What are the causes? Are they easy or hard to identify? Sometimes you will find it's not that hard. For instance, a lot of people are crazy about losing weight these days, and some are getting liposuction. Some of them later experienced the formidable side effects that come with this operation and suffered deeply. Some regret, some don't.

One thing in common: the suffering. What, then, is the cause of the suffering? Is it the craving for a unnatural body figure? Is it the resort to an unnatural means to this goal, a shortcut? Or is it the lack of self acceptance and appreciation? All of them, all are the cause. The suffering would not have claimed its position today had these causes not existed in the first place.

The second noble truth is the collection of the origin of suffering. To identify the cause takes wisdom, and to collect all the causes takes courage. Sometimes it's hard to face yourself directly. Sometimes you are unsure whether you have identified and collected the true cause. In this case, try to let go of your conscious thinking and meditate for a while. Only after your wandering thoughts drift away and monkey mind quiets down can you be peaceful and clear-minded enough to identify the real cause. Like a clear mirror that you stand in front of when applying lipsticks or combing hair, your clear mind reflects your true self and true cause of the suffering.

The third noble truth is the cessation of the cause of suffering. If you have noticed that the reason you think you are too fat is only because you are judging yourself by some of your friends' questionable standard, try to look at those who are too thin and are unhappy about being thin. Both ends are suffering from their discontent about themselves, and there is no way out unless you identify the cause, face it, and cease the cause by embracing self as is. That is, be content with who you are.

The funny thing is that there will never be a thing called "perfect figure". How slim is slim enough if you want to shed some pounds? The standard is changing, and it exists only in your mind, because other's standard is always different from yours. So the key to the cessation of suffering is not to fan the flames by pursuing a never-ending chasing after a "better" figure, but to redefine in your mind what a "good" figure is.

The fourth noble truth is entering the Tao (The Way) after the cessation of all sufferings. You are now awakened to the fact that all the chasing are futile in the long run. You are now content, happy and joyous. You are now living a balanced life, in all aspects. You are now clear at heart about the ultimate reality, and the cause of human suffering. You are now, as it is said, living in the state of Tao.