The Second Noble Truth

These are the words of the Buddha on the Second Noble Truth, the origin of suffering:

"The Noble Truth of the Origin (cause) of Suffering is this: It is this craving (thirst) which produces re-becoming (rebirth) accompanied by passionate greed, and finding fresh delight now here, and now there, namely craving for sense pleasure, craving for existence and craving for non-existence (self-annihilation).

"This is the Noble Truth of the Origin (cause) of Suffering: such was the vision, the knowledge, the wisdom, the science, the light that arose in me concerning things not heard before. This Origin of Suffering as a noble truth should be eradicated: such was the vision, the knowledge, the wisdom, the science, the light that arose in me concerning things not heard before. This Origin of suffering as a noble truth has been eradicated: such was the vision, the knowledge, the wisdom, the science, the light that arose in me concerning things not heard before."
- from The Dharmachakrapravartana Sutra

"Verily, due to sensuous craving, conditioned through sensuous craving, impelled by sensuous craving, entirely moved by sensuous craving, kings fight with kings, princes with princes, priests with priests, citizens with citizens; the mother quarrels with the son, the son with the mother, the father with the son, the son with the father; brother quarrels with brother, brother with sister, sister with brother, friend with friend. Thus given to dissension, quarrelling and fighting, they fall upon one another with fists, sticks or weapons. And thereby they suffer death and deadly pain.

And further, due to sensuous craving, conditioned through sensuous craving, impelled by sensuous craving, entirely moved by sensuous craving, people break into houses, rob and plunder, pillage whole houses, commit highway robbery, seduce the wives of others. Then the rulers have such people caught and inflict on them various forms of punishment. And thereby they incur death or deadly pain. Now, this is the misery of sensuous craving, the heaping up of suffering in this present life, due to sensuous craving, conditioned through sensuous craving, caused by sensuous craving, entirely dependent on sensuous craving."
- from the Mijjhima Nikaya, or middle-length sayings of the Buddha

"But where does this craving arise and take root? Wherever in the world there is the delightful and pleasurable, there this craving arises and takes root. Eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind are delightful and pleasurable; there this craving arises and takes root.

"Form, sounds, smells, tastes, bodily touches and ideas are delightful and pleasurable: there this craving arises and takes root.

"Consciousness, sense contact, the feeling born of sense contact, perception, will, craving, thinking and reflecting are delightful and pleasurable: there this craving arises and takes root.

"If, namely, when perceiving a visible form, a sound, odor, taste, bodily contact or an idea in the mind, the object is pleasant, one is attracted, and if unpleasant, one is repelled.

"Thus, whatever kind of feeling one experiences - pleasant, unpleasant or indifferent - one approves of and cherishes the feeling and clings to it; and while doing so, lust springs up; but lust for feelings means clinging to existence; and on clinging to existence depends the process of becoming; on the action process of becoming depends birth; and dependent on birth are decay and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair. Thus arises the whole mass of suffering."
- various sutras, as compiled by Dwight Goddard