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This word is closely linked to Buddhism via two key teachings of the Buddha: the Four “Noble” Truths and the “Noble” Eightfold Path. It is the translation of the Sanskrit term arya and was popularized by inhabitants of North India who self-designated themselves as aryans – noble or superior ones - to distinguish themselves from other inhabitants of the area. Centuries later, Adolph Hitler and the Nazis would appropriate the word for political purposes. The Buddha, who was born in Northern India, knew the term incorporated it as a spiritual description of those with insights into reality superior to that or ordinary people. Those who had spiritual insight were called “noble” ones.
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