Published by Buddhism, as a religion, has spread throughout India, into several other parts of Asia, and has even gained a steady following in Europe and the Untied States. For something to grow so large, and to touch so many people’s lives, there must be a basis of faith with some reasonable foundation. The Buddha, the original teacher of Buddhism, promoted two basic teachings in his lifetime, adding to them a final teaching on his deathbed. Known as the four noble truths and the noble eightfold path, the two initial elements support the Buddha’s final teaching as well.
At the age of eighty, the Buddha, or Gautama Siddharthaa, lay dying from spoilt food. With his final breaths he issued his last, and perhaps most important teaching: “You must be your own lamps, be your own refuges. Take refuge in nothing outside yourselves. Hold firm to the truth as a lamp and a refuge, and do not look for refuge to anything outside yourselves” (Molloy, 129). This statement advises his students to be independent, and to reject the necessity of relying on others for guidance and support. He is saying that the truth, and the individual, are the most important aspects of life, and without one or another the refuge one seeks may very well be misplaced.
There are two aspects of the Buddha’s teachings which are highly emphasized, and remain essential to the Buddhist faith. The first is the idea of the four noble truths of life. This is a set of ideas that aim to establish a platform for understanding life and the world we exist in, as well as establishing a starting point for how one might attain happiness. The path that one would take to achieve said happiness, according to the Buddha, is the noble eightfold path. It is not set up as e sequential series of steps, as many modern self-help programs are, but rather as an encompassing manner of behavior and actions that, when utilized, may bring peace, nirvana, and true happiness.
The four noble truths that the Buddha set forth are to live is to suffer; suffering comes from desire; to end suffering, end desire; and release from suffering is possible and can be attained by following the noble eightfold path (Molloy, 133-4). The first of these truths appears, on the surface as incredibly negative, and even depressing. One must look into the deeper meanings, however, to discern the truth of the matter. When the Buddha said that to live is to suffer, what he meant was not that all life is suffering. Instead, a more accurate interpretation would be that to live, to be alive, one will encounter suffering and pain. The world is not comprised of pure happiness and pleasure all the time. There are all types of suffering, from the physical ruination of our body due to age or mistreatment, to the spiritual ache of losing loved ones and being disappointed in the cosmic order of the universe. While this neither refutes nor supports the Buddha’s last teaching, it brings one to the second noble truth, which is more relatable.
Suffering comes from desire is the second noble truth. This means that all of the suffering and pain we experience in the life originates from the want for something that we cannot reasonably attain. As Molloy points out, the translation of the Sanskrit word trishna, often translated as desire, may be better read as thirst, or craving (33). Thus, it would make sense to say that suffering comes not from desiring what one can achieve, but from craving what is out of one’s reach. When the Buddha advised his students to take refuge only in themselves, he could have had this concept in mind. When one derives solace from the race after something they will never be able to attain, that solace is really only pain, because they will never achieve that goal, and will be constantly striving for something that will be continually denied them.
The third noble truth states that to end suffering, one must end their desire, or thirst. One must detach themselves from those unattainable goals, or peace will never be within reach. This again relates to the idea of taking refuge only in oneself, letting oneself be the only guide in life. That is to say, dropping the craving for something outside oneself will bring peace closer, and would therefore be a worthy goal. The last noble truth states that release from suffering is possible if one follows the noble eightfold path. Akin to the second noble truth, this does not have much direct relation to the Buddha’s last teaching, but does lead one to the next aspect in the search for peace, the eightfold noble path.
As stated before, the eightfold path is not set up as one might originally expect. Instead of being a step by step path, it is a path that one ascribes to throughout each and every day. The eightfold path consists in embracing these eight attributes of decorum: right understanding, right intention, right speech, right action, right work, right effort, right meditation and right contemplation (Molloy, 136). As Molloy points out, the word right in this context is also a bit different than what may originally be assumed, translating more accurately as complete or correct (135).
To have right understanding, then, one recognizes the validity of the four noble truths, and also that life is fleeting. In relation to the Buddha’s last teaching, it can be seen that this idea of right understanding fits well. Often people seek refuge in the idea of an afterlife, or delude themselves into neglecting the existence of their own eventual death. Right understanding serves to extinguish these faulty though processes.
Right intention means that one’s “thoughts and motives are pure, not tainted by any emotions and selfish desires” (Molloy, 136). This is a goal not directly addressed in the Buddha’s last teaching, though integral to the practice of Buddhism. Right speech is a practice of being forthright with others, but abstaining from saying hurtful things. It can be seen, every day, people taking refuge in lies, and finding solace for their own pains in causing pain for others. By practicing honesty and gentleness through speech, one can hold true both to this element of the eightfold path and to the Buddha’s last teaching.
Right action is similar to right speech, but applied to the physical motions of a person. Therefore, this means that to attain right action one does not engage in actions that would be hurtful to others, such as theft or adultery. Also, as with right speech, these actions can serve as a hiding place for individuals with bruised egos. To follow the Buddha’s last teaching, these wrong actions would be eliminated altogether from one’s life. The fourth element of the noble eight fold path is doing right work. This means that the activities one engages in for employment do not harm others. This is intimately linked with right action. In relation to the Buddha’s last teaching, it can be said that individuals can take rationalize hurting others simply by telling themselves they are just doing their job. Therefore, to follow this piece of the path is very much in line with the last teaching.
Right effort implies that one is not overly straining themselves, but also not becoming stagnant through lack of effort. The key here is moderation, and the use of moderation to continually improve oneself. This fits well with the last teaching due to its emphasis of self. One can only expend the effort to improve oneself. Thusly this effort in proper proportions will further enable and individual to “be [their] own lamp” (Molloy, 136).
Right meditation is the use of meditation to understand the nature of the world more fully. Right contemplation is an extension of this, and that while one will use meditation to contemplate more deeply, the right contemplation will focus the individual on nurturing inner peace. Again, these practices are wholly individual in nature, and further emphasize the need of an individual to be their own guide, and their own solace.
All in all, the Buddha’s final teaching coincides very well with his previous teachings. He set forth the four noble truths, establishing some groundwork for his students regarding the nature of the world. He then gave his students a way to move past the suffering in the world through the cultivation of the eightfold noble path. Finally, the Buddha tells his students to hold to the truth, and themselves, and to search inward for the comfort they may need. When taken as a whole, these three elements provide a stable, encompassing way of life for those following the Buddhist path.
