The core of Buddhist doctrine is the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. Buddha's view of the human condition and the solution to the spiritual ills of that condition can be found by living according to these truths. The first three of the Four Noble Truths are stages of a logical argument representing Buddha's evolution from a comfortable life as a prince to his search for enlightenment. Coupled with the Eightfold Path to those truths, this is Buddha's philosophy for finding salvation.

Buddha's Four Noble Truths are as follows:

The Noble Truth of Suffering

Life is suffering (or dukkha), a “vale of tears.” Dissatisfaction is everywhere, as are unfulfilled desires, and the separation from what one wants. Sadness and sorrow are a constant on the landscape of existence. Even when we experience ecstasy, it lasts only a little while. For every joy there is a sorrow, but for every sorrow there may not be joy. Suffering can be found in three different categories:

• Physical suffering — including pain, sickness, distress, and death — endured by all.

• Suffering produced by change, such as when a joyful state of mind passes and depression, longing, or boredom results.

• Suffering produced by conditioned states of consciousness (i.e., for every stage of existence there is a corresponding karmic effect). This is the deepest form of suffering.

The notion of self is the source of suffering. Remove the self and you will remove the suffering. Here Buddhism differs from Hinduism and Western philosophies, which assert the existence of the self. Finally, it is not merely illness and ageing, but the discontent and awareness of these developments that makes the suffering sharper.

The Noble Truth of the Cause of Suffering

The cause of this suffering is desire or attachment to the world in a way that makes you liable to suffering. The longing for desire is threefold: There is a desire for sensual pleasure and prosperity; a desire to see the end of unpleasantness; and a desire to go on living. Seeking pleasure is imprudent and futile — pleasure is elusive or, when it is achieved, turns to displeasure. Since people wish to continue in their existence, they end up clinging to life, which leads to despair. Seeking prosperity, too, ends in its own kind of despair, for an appetite for success is insatiable and thus never ending. Hankering for more pleasure and wealth may lead to the conclusion that your well-being depends on these things. A desire for increased status will always lead to bad karma.

The Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering

Since life is full of suffering, and the cause of suffering is unceasing desire, the way to eliminate suffering is to eliminate desire. This third truth concerns the cure for the abiding suffering of life. If you can destroy desire, suffering ends.

This is also called the Middle Path. The Buddha told his five disciples:“There are two extremes which should be avoided by a man who renounces the world. One of these is the practice of those things related to the passions, and particularly sensuality; this is low, uncivilized, unworthy and unprofitable, and is fit only for the worldly minded. The other extreme is the practice of self-mortification, which is painful, undignified, and equally unprofitable.”

Both extremes were familiar to Buddha. As a young prince, he had followed a sensual life. He had also rejected the life of asceticism. Sensuality slowed his spiritual progress and asceticism weakened his intellect.

The middle-ground alternative was the Eightfold Path, which was neither self-mortification nor self-indulgence. Rather, the way to achieve enlightenment is through a path of spiritual, moral, and mental exercise. The path includes eight parts:

• Right Views (understanding): This means seeing life as it is; realizing the nature of existence as summed up in the Four Noble Truths.

• Right Aspirations (thoughts): This involves keeping a pure mind and avoiding those feelings that obstruct progress to perfection. Such feelings include lust, malice, and cruelty.

• Right Speech: Your speech should bring out your correct thoughts. You should refrain from telling lies and idle lies and back-biting and address people in a tolerant manner. Correct speech should not be loud, excited, or opinionated.

• Right Conduct of Action: Right action can be broken down into five precepts, each covering negative and positive behavior. The first of the five commandments prohibit killing and prescribe charity and kindness to all living things. The other four precepts deal with theft and generosity; sensuality, sincerity, and honesty; and the use of intoxicating drink or drugs. Two tend to be stressed above the others: abstaining from taking life and sensual indulgence.

• Right Livelihood: This urges people to steer clear of businesses or activities that compromise the conduct of life according to the Buddha, so any livelihoods that cause harm or injustice to others should be shunned. Five forms of trade in particular are to be avoided: trade in arms, living beings, flesh, intoxicating drinks, and poison. But the occupations of soldier, hunter, and fisherman are also to be avoided, as are usury and soothsaying.

• Right Endeavor or Effort: Fostering noble qualities and rejecting ignoble vices.

• Right Mindfulness: The development of intellectual awareness in order to make spiritual progress. This opens a new layer of Buddhist philosophy, since it urges you to train your mind in such a manner as to recognize what is important and not be led astray. Four areas of experience should be examined: your body, feelings, mind, and the ideas that arise in your mind. With attention to these four fundamentals, you perfect the seven factors of Enlightenment: mindfulness, investigation of the Dhamma (the teachings of Buddha), energy, rapture, tranquility, meditative concentration, and equanimity.

• Right Meditation or Concentration: Emphasizes meditation, which leads to a full understanding of the impermanence of things and eventually to nirvana. Steady, easy breathing is ideal, while the mind tries to concentrate on tranquility. Early on, meditating should involve devices to assist memory, such as counting or repeating formulas in order to assist concentration. There are five mental hindrances that need to be conquered, or at least muted, before meditation can really begin: sensuality, ill will, laziness, worry, and skepticism.

These eight aspects of the path fit three attributes:

• Ethical conduct (sila) includes universal love and compassion and tolerance. This especially includes parts three, four, and five on the path. Right speech involves truth telling and refraining from malicious words. Right conduct includes peacemaking and refraining from violence, cheating, and illicit sexual liaisons. Right livelihood also refers to earning your living through honorable employment.

• Mental discipline (samadhi, for Hindus “holy vision”): You must be disciplined, exercise self-control, and concentrate your mind on the noble truths (parts six, seven, and eight). To achieve this end concentration, you might practice breathing and other modes of yoga or meditation.

• Wisdom: If you live in universal love and discipline, you will attain wisdom and enlightenment. Parts one and two especially serve this end.

All in all, Buddha's core philosophy is a practical and spiritual approach to living. The philosophy has led many to live peaceful, fulfilled lives.