The four noble truths are:

1. The truth of suffering (dukkha)

2. The truth of the cause of suffering (samudaya)

3. The truth of the end of suffering (nirhodha)

4. The truth of the path that frees us from suffering (magga)

The Buddhist teachings tell us that the cause of suffering is in fact craving or thirst
(tanha). The

Buddha described it as "the craving for sensual pleasure, the craving for continued
becoming, and

the craving for non-becoming." We are always looking for something to make us
happy and whole.

Even when we are prospering and growing and improving, we are constantly still
looking for

something else. We can never stay satisfied leading to our continual craving and
thus suffering.

The three forms of thirst listed above are the main causes of suffering according to
the Buddhist

teachings with the most obvious one being sensual pleasure. Relying on these
objects to achieve

happiness "only leads to frustration and dissatisfaction". Which ironically fuels the
craving for more

pleasure. The want for sensual pleasure can be self-centric which is something to
avoid because it

can result in bad karma. All sensual objects of desire are impermanent so one
cannot achieve

lasting happiness from such possession.

The second (thirst for becoming) and third (thirst for non-becoming) kind of thirst
contrast with each

other. The craving to become involves trying to get ahead in life socially and egocentrically. The

craving to not become is more to better yourself by doing what gets you ahead for
you and only

you. Such as ending toxic friendships or relationships. There is much more

complexity of these

three forms and in understanding all suffering for that matter but sensual pleasure,
becoming, and

non-becoming are essential basics to know.

2 Mahayana schools:

1. Tantric Chenyan

2. Sanlun

The concept of emptiness according to the Sanlun school was debated. The
argument was that the

Madhyamika doctrine of emptiness "does not imply a dualism between emptiness

on the one hand

and the other ordinary reality of human experience on the other." There is but one
reality, namely,

this world grasped either by a person's discriminating mind or by the wisdom-mind.

By the latter,

one finds the objective world is emptiness; things in their suchness are empty of the
independence

that the discriminating mind attributes to them. Emptiness is a central teaching of

all Buddhism.

Emptiness is differentiated from nothingness through being linked to the teaching of

dependent

arising. Emptiness can also be taken as the lack of any substantial difference
between

consciousness and their objects of apprehension. An example of such emptiness can

be

meditation. When you meditate, you empty your mind. You empty your mind so that
it can become

full of peace, full of silence, and full of light.

The philosophy of emptiness teaches that things are: dependent on their parts,
interrelated rather

than isolated, and that things are merely labelled. To prevent misunderstanding, one
must avoid

the two extremes. Which are that things are permanent, independent to their parts,
and

independent of our labeling and secondly, that things do not exist at all (nihilism),
thus emptiness.

There is however a strong distinction that is vital. That distinction is understanding

that "all

phenomena are empty" is not the case but that "all phenomena in their own being
are empty."

Early Buddhism, or Pre-Buddhism lasted until about 150 years after the Buddha's
death. Its two

early schools that it was split up into were the Sthavira school and the
Mahasamghika school.

Mahayana teaching was the more popular in early Buddhism. A major doctrine in
early Indian

Buddhism that was forced for change was unintentional literalism. Earlier versions
of Buddhism

were somewhat intertwined with Hinduism because that was the leading religion in
India at the

time.

Tibet was one of the last places to have Buddhism spread to them. They of course
created their

own form of it to fit their culture and accustom to their known beliefs. Tibetan form
was more into

worshipping a guru. The guru is given the name lama. A big part of Tibetan
Buddhism is

skepticism. An attitude of critical skepticism is encouraged to promote abilities in

analytical

meditation. They are fond of quoting sutra to the effect that one should test the
Buddha's words

as one would the quality of gold.

Understanding the basic backgrounds and beliefs of each helps you to understand
the differences

between the two. Some of the differences present are their most common schools,
how devoted

and trusting each one is, and how much they tie with other beliefs or religions.
Tibetan Buddhism is

also newer, possessing more modern beliefs. Vajrayana is the main practice in
Tibetan Buddhism

while Early Indian Buddhism was focused on Mahayana. Tibetan Buddhism, like
almost all forms of

Buddhism, did derive from Early Indian Buddhism so they do have similarities but
they both have

their own take on the belief and are incorporating different cultures so will also be
very different as

they are.

The 3 characteristics of all phenomena are:

1. Anicca

2. Dukkha

3. Anatta

The law of Dukkha is usually considered in relation to the human situation, and here

satisfactoriness manifests itself as "suffering", which is the popular rendition of the

term. It is in this

sense that it constitutes the first of the four noble truths. Dukkha states that all
complexes of

phenomena, are in the final analysis unsatisfactory. No compounded thing or state

could be

considered as a universal norm of goodness or beauty. It imparts the normative

dimension into the

consideration of objective reality which is the hallmark of the Dhamma.

There are three main categories of Dukkha: suffering or pain, impermanence or

change, and

conditioned states. Suffering can include physical, mental, or emotional pain.

Anything that is

impermanent, that is subject to change is Dukkha. The saying 'all good things come
to an end'

applies here. All great things and successes fade. It is okay to enjoy them, the goal
is to not cling to

them. To be in a conditioned state is to be dependent on or affected by something

else. According

to the teaching of dependent origination, all phenomena are conditioned.

Everything affects

everything else.

The Dukkha we experience in life is not is not a punishment for wrong-doing, rather
it is the result

of our search for happiness or pleasure in what is not capable of reliably providing
it. Because

craving is never completely satisfied, it causes frustration which leads to stress

going into suffering

or Dukkha. The Buddha did not offer a magical cure for Dukkha, he did however
point out that

everything arises because of causes. When the cause is eliminated, so is the effect.
The eight-fold

path is the practical solution for a person to develop the wisdom which will enable
them to gradually

get free of craving and so of Dukkha.