Joan Marques - Ed.D., MBA.
Burbank, California

The center around Buddha's Four Noble Truths is the attainment of Nirvana. Unlike what many think and preach, Nirvana is not an after-life stage, but a state of being we can reach when we learn to eliminate our "thirst."

Thirst, in this regard, does not pertain to one's need for liquid, of course, but to the driving emotions we develop as we go: desire, hatred, and illusion. These emotions manifest themselves at various levels in society: personal, organizational, and governmental. If you analyze every act you have executed or witnessed so far in your life, you will find that 90% of them were driven by this thirst Buddha refers to.

Let's start with the big picture first, and then zoom in:

Governmental:
All wars, treaties and trade pacts among governmental leaders are fundamentally driven by some sort of desire, whether this is a desire to control, or to safeguard a country's economical stability. The explanations governments give to their people as their motives toward their acts are often far nobler than their real reasons. When a governmental leader tells you his righteous story, you can accept it if you don't want your patriotic feelings to be affected, but you can also decide to do some research, if you can stand it. You will find that the real picture is usually a very selfish, individualistic one, and oftentimes not one focused on the fortification and well being of a country's citizens.

Organizational:
All lawsuits, mergers and integration strategies among business organizations are essentially driven by the same sort of desire as described above, whether this is a desire to control the market, or to guarantee a company's existence or growth. The explanations top managers give to their employees, as their motives toward their acts, are often far nobler than their real reasons. When a corporate leader tells you his righteous story, you can accept it if you don't want your partisan feelings to be affected, but you can also decide to do some research, if you can stand it. That being said, it may be sensible to mention here that for businesses it is generally understood and accepted that most acts are executed for financial gain and organizational growth: the purpose of actions is thus laid out more straightforward in this case than in the case of governments. Nevertheless, the real picture remains a very selfish, individualistic one, and oftentimes not one focused on the protection and safety of an organization's workers.

Personal:
All arguments, agreements and transactions between individuals are primarily driven by a similar kind of desire, whether that is a desire to gain power and influence, or to protect their position. The explanations individuals give to their partners, colleagues, and companions, as their motives toward their acts, are often far nobler than their real intentions. When an individual tells you his or her righteous story, you can accept it if you don't want your feelings of trust to be affected, but you can also decide to do some contemplating, if you can stand it. The real picture is usually a very selfish, personal one, and oftentimes not one focused on the benefit of this person's surroundings.

Now that these three examples have been laid out for you, and you have been able to trace the similarity in their actions and motives, you may have also come to the conclusion that getting rid of desire, hatred, and illusion are the principal way to set you free. It is not the easiest state to attain, though, as we live in a society that superbly knows how to create one emotion after another within us: just watch some television, listen to the radio, or read the paper; drive or walk through town, and look around you: there are advertisements and news breaks everywhere. And although it is understandable that they are there, as everyone tries to make a living by selling his or her product, these information submissions can also be perceived as the ideal way of awakening and maintaining desire, hatred, and illusions.

I bet you agree wholeheartedly with me now that getting rid of desire, hatred, and illusion, is therefore extremely difficult: more so now than it was 100 or 1000 years ago when there was no or little mass media, no fast transportation, and no advanced trade. But once you can get yourself to the understanding that all you need is just enough to live; that top of the line is not necessarily something you HAVE to have; that expensive is not necessarily better; that war between countries or groups is not the answer; that hating others only affects your peace of mind; that most things are not what they seem; that almost every act is driven by selfishness, which is fed by desire, hatred or illusion; you will be well on your way to attaining a state of mind that is serene, and void of frenzy. You will have your own taste of nirvana.

Reference:
Inspired by Walpola Rahula's "What the Buddha Taught."