I find the third Noble Truth – the truth of the cessation of suffering (dukkha) – a wonderful source of hope that is based on reality! How incredible to be offered the ending (cessation) of suffering in my life, and most importantly, the causes of that suffering. To see the end of all the unsatisfactory experiences of life – and their origins (roots) – in such a way that they will no longer arise and occur again is almost “too good to be true”. This is my personal Exodus.   

This removal, this extinction, this final absence of suffering would surely be fittingly synonymous with nirvana. No wonder, in fact, that cessation is often equated with nirvana (Sanskrit; Pali nibbana). Equally fitting are terms such as ultimate reality or absolute truth. 

The challenge for me, then, is to develop a genuine, heartfelt understanding of the causes of suffering, such as ignorance and craving. However, to completely eradicate these causes, and thus be free from suffering, means that I need to be far more than enamoured by this intellectually stimulating information, that has been added to my mind through my studies.  

I need to honestly ask myself: Am I experiencing deep transformation, whereby I am letting go of cognitive and emotional misperceptions of reality – and coming to understand what is simple and real, moving away from constant attachment and aversion?  

In addition to providing great hope, cessation also becomes the one grand goal of my spiritual practice. 

Realistically, however, working toward this cessation will take much diligence and discipline for the rest of my life. A consolation is that I can experience momentary or temporary states of nirvana whenever the causes of suffering (for example, craving) cease in my mind for a short duration – providing a spark of hope to continue the journey into full freedom.

The prospect of cessation is hope-filled because, as Geshe Tashi Tsering writes, it can be understood through reason, making my intellectual understanding an invaluable tool to gain access to the states of mind that will ultimately liberate me (The Four Noble Truths, 104). 

In this context, I find Geshe Tashi’s steps to achieving complete cessation most helpful. Briefly, they are as follows: 
 

Steps for Complete Cessation
Alterability	See that delusions and suffering are impermanent. Our goal to eliminate all delusions and suffering from our mindstreams would be impossible if they were permanent and unchanging – however, because they are changeable, it is possible to reduce them and eventually eliminate them completely.
Antidotes	Know that there are actual methods to deal with delusions and suffering. These are traditionally called antidotes.
Availability	Realize that the methods to deal with delusions and suffering are available to us.
Application	Recognize that we ourselves can actually apply the methods to deal with delusions and suffering.
Acceptance	Remember that we are dealing with a process. Complete cessation is the end product of working through many temporary cessations – and so it is important to be realistic with one’s expectations.
Achievement	Understand that in reality, cessation is a slow process. The real practice involves concentrating on the strongest delusion first (such as anger), and faithfully applying the first four steps above. Nevertheless, one can experience a wonderful freeing and lightening of the mind by observing this process and realizing that it applies to all negative emotions. However, it is a matter of time and practice.
Source: Adapted from Geshe Tashi Tsering, The Four Noble Truths (Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications, 2005), 105-106.

For cessation of suffering to occur in my life, I must understand the delusions. His Holiness the Dalai Lama states that a delusion is any mental state that destroys calmness of mind and brings about mental misery – that is, which upsets, afflicts, and torments the mind. He identifies some of the chief delusions as follows: 
 

Delusions
Attachment	The strong desire for beautiful persons, beautiful things, or pleasurable experiences. Attachment is very difficult to get rid of – it is as if your mind has become fixed to the object.
Anger	The object of anger – whether animate or inanimate – is something found to be undesirable and repulsive. Anger is a very untamed state of mind.
Pride	One feels conceited about one’s own status, position, and knowledge, based on a self-centered attitude. Regardless of whether one has really achieved something or not, one feels inflated and even pompous.
Ignorance	Misconceives the identity of the Four Noble Truths, the law of karma, and so forth. Ignorance can also refer to the mental factor that is totally ignorant of the nature of the Three Jewels and the law of karma.
Doubt	Is wavering thought concerning whether there are Four Noble Truths or not, whether there is a law of karma or not.
Wrong Views	Active misconceptions about the nature of reality. The first of these is a state of mind that focuses on one’s self and misconceives it to be truly or substantially existent – to imagine that within our impermanent bodies and minds there is some kind of permanent, autonomous self. Other types of wrong view would hold that there is no life after death, no law of karma, and no Three Jewels.
Misperceptions	We mistakenly believe that the body and mind possess some kind of self, and as a result all the other delusions, like desire and anger, follow. Due to this self-centered attitude, this misconception of self, we discriminate between ourselves and others. Then, based on how others treat us, we hold some to be dear and feel attachment for them, and hold others to be distant and classify them as enemies. We then have experiences of anger and hatred, and focused upon ourselves, we become inflated and proud. All this arises because of the mistaken belief in an intrinsically existent self.
Source: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, The Essential Dalai Lama: His Important Teachings, ed. Rajiv Mehrotra (New York: Penguin, 2005), 81-82.

Finally, I deeply value how the fourth Noble Truth gives us the path to the overcoming and cessation of dukkha. This path, the Noble Eightfold Path, is the very essence of Buddhist practice – and therein are the methods or antidotes to achieve cessation. The eightfold path – Right Understanding, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration – are eight vital, interdependent dimensions of our mental, spoken, and bodily behaviour and way of living. 

In closing, the four characteristics of true cessation give me great incentive to continue the practice. The characteristics are breathtaking: 

Truth of Cessation: Four Characteristics
Cessation	The ceasing of all delusions and ignorance – not only temporarily, but forever! These negativities will never again occur in the mindstream.
Pacification	Cessation pacifies the torment of suffering, bringing the result of nirvana or enlightenment – complete and never-ending, true peace!
Being Superb	Since cessation is the ultimate goal of all spiritual paths, it would have to be considered as superb – in the sense of being supreme in bringing about the source of all health and happiness! It is the quality of real trustworthiness, never changing or turning into something different or less supreme.
Definite Emergence	Cessation will definitely bring us out of samsara – and so this characteristic is called definite emergence. By realizing the truth of the cessation of suffering, we are totally released from samsara and free from all sufferings and delusions!
Source: Adapted from Geshe Tashi Tsering, The Four Noble Truths (Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications, 2005), 120.

Copyright © 2013 Alexander Michael Peck