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 three vehicles. [RY]