The Four Noble Truths are actual, unchanging, and not otherwise; therefore, they are called the Noble Truths.

SN 56.27  Tatha sutta - Actual

“Cattārimāni, bhikkhave, ariyasaccāni. Katamāni cattāri? Dukkhaṁ ariyasaccaṁ, dukkhasamudayaṁ ariyasaccaṁ, dukkhanirodhaṁ ariyasaccaṁ, dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā ariyasaccaṁ.

“Bhikkhus, there are these Four Noble Truths. What four? The Noble Truth of |suffering::discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering [dukkha]|, the Noble Truth of the |arising of suffering::source of stress, appearance of discomfort [dukkhasamudaya]|, the Noble Truth of the |end of suffering::ending of discontentment, cessation of distress [dukkhanirodha]|, the Noble Truth of the |way of practice leading to the end of suffering::i.e. the Noble Eightfold Path consisting of right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right collectedness [dukkhanirodhagāmī]|.

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri ariyasaccāni tathāni avitathāni anaññathāni; tasmā ‘ariyasaccānī’ti vuccanti.

Bhikkhus, these Four Noble Truths are |actual::true, real [tatha]|, unchanging, and not otherwise; therefore, they are called the Noble Truths.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo,
‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti yogo karaṇīyo,
‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti yogo karaṇīyo,
‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo”ti.

Therefore, bhikkhus, effort should be made to |fully understand::understand in principle, then discern in each moment and then experientially penetrate|: ‘This is suffering’;
effort should be made to fully understand: ‘This is the arising of suffering’;
effort should be made to fully understand: ‘This is the end of suffering’;
effort should be made to fully understand: ‘This is the way of practice leading to the end of suffering.’”

Last updated on April 11, 2026