The guiding principles at the heart of Buddhism are called?

Answer 1

The Four Noble Truths describe the true nature of existence, and the path to living in harmony with that nature. The teaching of the Four Noble Truths was the first sermon given by the Buddha after he became enlightened. This first teaching is called "Setting the Wheel of Dharma in motion". It was given by him to his four friends that he was practicing asceticism with before he became enlightened and all four were at once convinced of its truths. Therefore, the Four Noble Truths are the core of Buddhism.

The Four Noble Truths, and what they infer, are Buddhism itself. There are many traditions, schools, sects of Buddhism, but the Four Noble Truths are acknowledged in all of them, because they are foundational. They describe why Buddhism is needed, and what constitutes the essence of the practice of Buddhism. There may be various practices and ideas within Buddhism, but they are merely different expressions of the essence as expressed in the Four Noble Truths.

The Four Noble Truths are:

1. Life is full of suffering. The word the Buddha used was probably closer to Discontentment. That we are never really satisfied and if we are, it doesn't last.

2. This Suffering (discontentment) has a cause. This cause is our attachment to desires. Now, this doesn't mean that having desires is bad. It means that we must be smart about our desires. We shouldn't have these aching desires to get things like new clothes or the latest cell phone because once we get it, we are only happy for a short while. Then we are discontent again. We should desire for things that are helpful to others, or that we can make a positive impact on someone's life.

3. There is a state in which suffering (discontentment) stops and that state is attainable. If we apply ourselves correctly to the 4th truth, we can become happy with life just as it is. We can break the chains that tie us to wide mood swings and over-reactions. We can treat people kindly and be generous and

be content.

4. There is a path to end suffering. The Buddha laid out a path that anyone can follow. It takes practice to override the view of things and how we have thought throughout our lives but you can get there from here if you practice hard enough and with real intention.

Answer 2

The guiding principles at the heart of Buddhism are called the Four Noble Truths. These truths highlight the nature of suffering, its cause, the possibility of its cessation, and the path to achieve it, known as the Eightfold Path.