Exam 14: Eastern Theories of Ethics

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-The Four Noble Truths suggest that to become aware of the natural order in life one must first acknowledge that suffering is central to the human experience.
-In this view, suffering begins at birth and follows us throughout life.
-This fact of life is a given and must be considered if one is to lead a good life.
-The second Truth addresses the causes of suffering and focuses on desire. Desires can be for material things, for relationships, or for life itself.
-The Buddha noted that if one desires something, the end result is suffering because desires are not permanent, lead to more desires, and leave one unfulfilled.
-The third of the Four Noble Truths pivots off the second by noting that the way to end suffering is to end desire. According to this view, if desire is driving suffering, then one must avoid desire.
-The solution provided in the fourth Noble Truth is to follow the middle way. That is, one should not avoid suffering through a total detachment from life that in the extreme form is suicide.
-However, like the Buddha found in his own life, one must confront life and work at finding the middle way. The Buddha helped us in this process by laying out the Eightfold Path.
-The fourth of the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, is a set of considerations and actions one must take to achieve the middle way. These are practical steps the individual can take to hone in on the middle way; they include directives about the appropriate personal orientation one must assume, appropriate moral actions one should prioritize, and specific daily practices one must master to enter into the right state of mind.