在佛陀的教法中，四聖諦可算是其中的心要，佛在鹿野 苑，向五比丘第一次說法時，便是以四聖諦來教化他們。
四聖諦是﹕
(一)苦諦 [ 世間果 ]
(二)集諦 [ 世間因 ]
(三)滅諦 [ 出世間果 ]
(四)道諦 [ 出世間因 ]
The heart of the Buddha's teaching lies in the Four Noble Truths which he expounded in his very first sermon to his old colleagues, the five ascetics, at the Deer Park in Isipatana. A close study of the Four Noble truths, with appropriate explanations, can get us a fairly good and accurate account of the essential teachings of the Buddha.
The four Noble Truths are:
| 1 | Suffering | mundane effect |
| 2 | The Origin of Suffering | mundane cause |
| 3 | The Cessation of Suffering, Nirvana | supramundane effect |
| 4 | The Way leading to the Cessation of Suffering | supramundane cause |
The following simile is used to help us better understand these Truths.
For instance, we have caught a cold and have decided to visit the doctor.
The doctor would determine what kind of sickness we are suffering from
and prescribe us with the appropriate medicine. Following the doctor's
direction and with the help of the medicine, we can get cured and become
healthy again. The above can be arranged in a sequence similar to the Four
Noble Truths as follows:
| 1 | Suffering from a cold and not feeling well. | Effect |
| 2 | Caught a cold because you forgot to put on your jacket on a breezy evening. | Cause |
| 3 | Cured from the cold and become healthy again. | Effect |
| 4 | Visit the doctor and take his prescribed medicine. | Cause |
Notice that here are two sequence of causes and effects involved in the
process. On the following notes, we will examine each Truth closely.