So the First Noble Truth states that there exists suffering in the world, and in our lives. Witches acknowledge this, but don't think too much about it, saying that it's simply part of nature. It's just the way things are. Buddhism agrees with this - suffering is a natural part of samsara.
The Second Noble Truth identifies the causes of that suffering. Typically people will say that there is only one cause of suffering, and that is desire. I feel this is both incomplete and a misinterpretation of the word "duhkha." (I'll talk more on what, exactly, "duhkha" is and what it means in a bit.) A clearer statement of the Second Noble Truth would be to say that the cause of suffering is threefold: Attachment (which is different from desire), Aversion, and Ignorance.
Attachment is different from desire because attachment is typically formed in response to having a desire. As an example, say you enjoy the taste of cheesecake. You eat cheesecake and you fulfill your desire. The attachment is formed to the pleasure that is derived from having your desire fulfilled. You like getting your way. The attachment has nothing to do with the cheesecake itself, and it has everything to do with the pleasure you derive from the pleasure of eating it.
An example of how attachment causes suffering is thus: You have a desire to eat cheesecake. Now two situations could unfold - you don't get your cheesecake, and since you are attached to this desire, you are not able to get your attachment's fix. The source of the pleasure is cut off, and like someone addicted to a drug like heroin, you suffer because you can't get your "happy" from eating the cake. On the other hand, if you do get your cake, you end up re-enforcing your attachment, making it even stronger - which can end up being even more painful when you eventually don't get your fill.
Aversion is the opposite of attachment, and is just as bad. It happens when something you don't like happens, and you form a dislike of that thing. You become so pre-occupied by the dislike or hatred of that thing, that the actual thing is no longer important. The source of your anger, hatred, sorrow, or general dislike becomes secondary to your experience of those emotions or those mind-states. It is like the stinging sensation you experience after being cut by something, you don't like the feeling so you form an aversion to it. You become so engrossed by the dislike of the feeling that you do everything in your power to avoid situations in which you could possibly feel that sensation. Your attention becomes narrowed to the dislike of the feeling, rather than the feeling itself, or the cause of that feeling.
Ignorance in this case is not meant as "not knowing something," since what most of us don't know could fill a mountain. As Witches we accept that there is a lot that we not only don't know, but that we can't know. The Mysteries are mysterious because they exist outside of direct perception and understanding - they can only by experienced. So ignorance in this instance mainly implies a self-imposed sort of ignorance, where you ignore something because it doesn't fit your perceptions, or your likes or dislikes. You pretend something doesn't exist, or that it doesn't affect you, when it really does. Ignorance is running away, and hiding out.
These three causes of suffering, attachment, aversion, and ignorance are known as duhkha. The word duhkha is usually translated as suffering, or alienation. A literal translation would be the wheel of a cart that is stuck. People who drive or have driven with someone whose wheels became stuck will know that it's not permanent at all. The wheels become stuck, then they become unstuck. Sometimes it requires creative driving, sometimes you have to get out and push. In any case, it is only a temporary stickiness - always with a solution of some kind.
Witchcraft doesn't typically address the causes of suffering, or their natures. Since most Witches accept that suffering is a part of life, we don't see it necessarily to analyze or dissect it. In fact, that could end up doing more harm than good because if we are suffering and we try to dissect our own suffering, we could end up thinking too much about our suffering and become totally self-absorbed in our pain. This is why we rely on deity to help us with our suffering, since our gods and/or goddesses are usually seen as being wise and compassionate third-parties with an objective mind that can see into our pain and help us to overcome it by revealing our own strenghts and resources.
The Third Noble Truth states simply that there is a way to end this suffering. Since we know from the meaning of duhkha that suffering is not at all permanent, we can begin to think, "well, if it's not permanent and since it arises because of other factors, then there should be a way to end suffering before it happens or as it happens." If we can identify our suffering as having some form of one (or more) of the three causes (the "three poisons"), then we can begin to understand why we are suffering in that particular instance. This can afford us great relief, since we're not running around unsure of why we're feeling so bad.
Sooner or later, as Witches, we learn that suffering builds character. We become wiser, more patient, courageous, and kind with every difficulty we come up against and triumph over. We know that when we are met by pain, that the pain will pass, and it will leave us stronger for having survived it. The important thing is that we know that it will pass. There is an end to it.
The Fourth Noble Truth is like the prescription that the doctor writes us after he has diagnosed our illness. After identifying that, first, we are sick and, secondly, what is causing our sickness, we see that there is a way to end this sickness - with the fourth being the actual way to do that. There are two parts to this truth, the first being called the Middle Path and the second being the Eightfold Path.
The Buddha discovered the Middle Path while he was meditating in the jungle in accordance with extreme asceticism. Growing up in a palace, surrounded by luxury, he had learned that all the pleasures of the world would not bring the end of suffering - it would only exacerbate it. He learned the path of the ascetic monk from the Jains and practiced that, living on as little as a grain of rice every day. He eventually realized that if he starved himself, he would simply die, having attained nothing. The analogy that is given is that of a string instrument - if the strings are too tight, they will snap. If they are too slack, they will not produce any sound. Only by being in between the two can they produce music.
So the Middle Path is a balance between deprication and indulgence. It's a path of moderation. Too much or too little of anything can be harmful, depending on what it is.
The second part of this truth is that of the Eightfold Path, which is:
- 1. Right Understanding
To understand the Law of Cause and Effect and the Four Noble Truths.
2. Right Attitude
Not harbouring thoughts of greed and anger.
3. Right Speech
Avoid lying, gossip, harsh speech and tale-telling.
4. Right Action
Not to destroy any life, not to steal or commit adultery.
5. Right Livelihood
Avoiding occupations that bring harm to oneself and others.
6. Right Effort
Earnestly doing one's best in the right direction.
7. Right Mindfulness
Always being aware and attentive.
8. Right Concentration
To making the mind steady and calm in order to realise the true nature of things.
Easier said than done, right? Like the Middle Path, I don't believe that people are expected to just drop what they're doing and live out the Eightfold Path to perfection. I think people try too hard to hold themselves to moral standards in some religions, and as Witches we understand the vital necessity of "naturalness." Nature progresses from one state to the next. Seasons flow into one another gradually, not abruptly.
So to travel the Eightfold Path realistically, one needs to slowly integrate these ethical standards into one's life, keeping in mind the causes of suffering, and the teaching on the Middle Path. Not too much, and not too little. After all, if you slip up, then there isn't some all-powerful and vengeful deity that will punish you, or some New-Age Karma Monster that will spit all your mistakes at you with three times the force that you gave them.
Like the Moon, we travel the path of our lives alone, a lamp unto ourselves in the darkness. By our own efforts we can be liberated from samsara. If we slip up, then we only have ourselves to answer to. There is nothing but time, so we can afford to take the time. We also understand that the final goal of liberation is not our focus. As Buddhists, we ust the motivation of attaining liberation for the sake of others. Not only for ourselves, but for those we care about, those we don't know, and those we may not even like. With the wisdom and compassion of a fully enlightened Buddha, we would have the skills and the knowledge to be of the greatest possible benefit to ourselves and to others. Focusing less on the self isn't about self-deprication, because we try to focus on everyone, and everyone is a word that includes ourselves. We must have compassion for ourselves, too.
