According to the Macmillan Encyclopedia of Buddhism (2004), these are
1. "the noble truth that is suffering"
2. "the noble truth that is the arising of suffering"
3. "the noble truth that is the end of suffering"
4. "the noble truth that is the way leading to the end of suffering"
According to another interpretation given by some authorities,[citation needed] the truths are not suffering etc. but statements about them:
1. There is suffering
2. There is a cause of suffering — craving
3. There is the cessation of suffering — Nirvana
4. There is a way leading to the cessation of suffering — the Noble Eightfold Path
According to the scriptures, the Four Noble Truths were among the topics of the first sermon given by the Buddha after his enlightenment,which was given to the five ascetics with whom he had practised austerities. The Four Noble Truths were originally spoken by the Buddha not in the form of a religious or philosophical text, but in the manner of a medical diagnosis and remedial prescription in a style that was common at that time. The early teaching and the traditional understanding in the Theravada is that these are an advanced teaching for those who are ready for them. The Mahayana position is that they are a preliminary teaching for people not yet ready for the higher and more expansive Mahayana teachings.
