Just in case you are not aware of the four noble truths, let me repeat them first:
- There is suffering
- If there is suffering, there must be a cause for the suffering
- If there is a cause for suffering, then if you remove the cause, there will be no more suffering
- If you can remove the cause, then there must be a way to formalize it, and prescribe a path that anyone can follow to eliminate suffering
If you are a speed reader, I would encourage you to slow down and read the four noble truths a few times as the power of these four noble truths takes time to sink in; and the deeper it sinks, the easier the rest of this material will flow for you.
Let us narrow these truths down to understand how it pertains to Diabetes.
1. Diabetes is suffering:
Taking injections is suffering. All the side effects of the medications is suffering. All the mood swings is suffering. If you are still wondering, “Is this suffering?” remember that then becomes a question, a hypothesis, not a truth. When you realize that Diabetes is suffering, it becomes a truth for you. It becomes a noble truth if the depth of that realization forces you – of your own volition – to take the next step, to dig deep, and find the underlying root cause.
2. There must be a cause:
If Diabetes is suffering, there must be a cause for diabetes. The default option for most diabetics is to treat the symptoms; more accurately, to find a way to suppress symptoms in the short term with a quilt work of medications. As a result, seeds have been sown for future suffering: neuropathy, gangrene, retinopathy, and a lot more that are so morbid that I would rather stop here.
If, on the other hand, you find the root cause for the suffering, it becomes a noble truth as it will automatically drive you to take the next step – find ways to remove the root cause. Note that while this seems simple, and it is simple to read and intellectually understand, it is very difficult to practice. Why else would over 90% of diabetics be resorting to using medications to suppress symptoms? Why else would most people end up “settling” for the most “popular” option – medications.
One reason why getting to the cause is so difficult is that most of the so-called research is focused on correlation (as against causation), and can result in some dangerous conclusions. (e.g. Looks like in places where people eat ice creams, at the same time, it is also sunny. There is a correlation. Eating more ice creams will create sunny weather! This is obviously silly. But when there are lots of equations, articles in scientific journals cited as references, and people with sophisticated titles quote them, the silliness can easily get shrouded). When you find something that is focused on causation, it is very noble indeed, as it strikes at the root. As Thoreau rightly said, “For thousands hacking away at the leaves, there is one that strikes at the root.”
3. Removing the root cause:
If you remove the root cause, there will be no more suffering. In other words, if you eliminate all the conditions that create the set of symptoms we call diabetes, all those symptoms automatically disappear and there will no longer be diabetes. Realization of Noble Truth#2 puts you on a quest to seek the cause. You realize Noble Truth#3 when you take all the steps needed to eliminate the root cause, remove all the conditions that caused the diabetes that in turn caused the suffering. With all the temptations that you will invariably encounter (if it is any consolation, even a saint like Buddha had his fair share of temptations to get past, on his way to attaining enlightenment), realizing this truth is far from easy, but the rewards of realizing this noble truth are immeasurable. Truly immeasurable. And a very noble attainment.
4. Formalize the path:
If you have removed the root cause, eliminated the suffering and then taken all the additional steps needed to find a way that anyone can use to eliminate their suffering, it is a noble path indeed; as now anyone can walk that path and reach the final goal. The first person(s) to find the path would have invariably gone through many trials and errors on their way to reaching all 4 noble truths. If you can ride on those giant shoulders, it is as if you are driving on a freeway without any signals that will take you straight to your final goal without any twists and turns (no U-turns and dead ends either!). What can be nobler than that? It turns out, that there is such a noble eight-fold path that is repeatable, hundreds of people have walked on it & eliminated all their suffering (Remember: we are talking about diabetes suffering here! So don’t look for solutions to all your other suffering here. Those may or may not go away!).
Take the steps needed so you can walk the path. Join a forum like dLife that has Indian diabetics and healthcare professionals as members who have done all the trials and found that noble path. And once you have reached your goal, share it generously with others that could benefit from walking on this path, as the satisfaction and joy from eliminating suffering (and creating happiness) is immeasurable. And truly noble.
Let me summarize:
The noblest thing you can do is to have a mind and body that is at ease (in other words, no ‘dis’ease), and to help others also realize that same state of ease that you have reached. So walk on the path, reach your final destination of ‘ease’, and help others walk the same path. Let us Reverse Diabetes!
