Four noble truths

Four noble truths ('phags pa'i bden pa bzhi).

The four truths are the truth of suffering, of origin, of the cessation, and of the path.

• The truth of suffering refers to the world and the beings.
• The truth of origin refers to karmic actions and disturbing emotions.
• The truth of cessation is state of having relinquished both the karmas and disturbing emotions along with their effects.
• The truth of the path is the paths and levels of Buddhism, the ultimate solution to suffering.

The truth of suffering is like a sickness, the truth of origin is the cause of the sickness, the truth of cessation is like having recovered from the sickness, and the truth of the path is like following a cure for the sickness. These four truths can be understood in increasingly deeper ways as the practitioner progresses through the nine vehicles. (RY)