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Four Noble Truths Talks

In Buddhism, the Four Noble Truths (Sanskrit: चत्वारिआर्यसत्यानि, romanized: catvāriāryasatyāni; Pali: cattāri ariyasaccāni; "The Four arya satya") are "the truths of the noble one (the Buddha)," a statement of how things really are when they are seen correctly. The four truths are
dukkha (not being at ease, 'suffering', from dush-stha, standing unstable). Dukkha is an innate characteristic of transient existence; nothing is forever, this is painful; samudaya (origin, arising, combination; 'cause'): together with this transient world and its pain, there is also thirst, craving for and attachment to this transient, unsatisfactory existence; nirodha (cessation, ending, confinement): the attachment to this transient world and its pain can be severed or contained by the confinement or letting go of this craving; marga (road, path, way): the Noble Eightfold Path is the path leading to the confinement of this desire and attachment, and the release from dukkha.The four truths appear in many grammatical forms in the ancient Buddhist texts, and are traditionally identified as the first teaching given by the Buddha. While often called one of the most important teachings in Buddhism, they have both a symbolic and a propositional function. Symbolically, they represent the awakening and liberation of the Buddha, and of the potential for his followers to reach the same liberation and freedom as him. As propositions, the Four Truths are a conceptual framework that appear in the Pali canon and early Hybrid Sanskrit Buddhist scriptures, as a part of the broader "network of teachings" (the "dhamma matrix"), which have to be taken together. They provide a conceptual framework for introducing and explaining Buddhist thought, which has to be personally understood or "experienced".
As a proposition, the four truths defy an exact definition, but refer to and express the basic orientation of Buddhism: unguarded sensory contact gives rise to craving and clinging to impermanent states and things, which are dukkha, "unsatisfactory," "incapable of satisfying" and painful. This craving keeps us caught in saṃsāra, "wandering", usually interpreted as the endless cycle of repeated rebirth, and the continued dukkha that comes with it, but also referring to the endless cycle of attraction and rejection that perpetuates the ego-mind. There is a way to end this cycle, namely by attaining nirvana, cessation of craving, whereafter rebirth and the accompanying dukkha will no longer arise again. This can be accomplished by following the eightfold path, confining our automatic responses to sensory contact by restraining oneself, cultivating discipline and wholesome states, and practicing mindfulness and dhyana (meditation).
The function of the four truths, and their importance, developed over time and the Buddhist tradition slowly recognized them as the Buddha's first teaching. This tradition was established when prajna, or "liberating insight", came to be regarded as liberating in itself, instead of or in addition to the practice of dhyana. This "liberating insight" gained a prominent place in the sutras, and the four truths came to represent this liberating insight, as a part of the enlightenment story of the Buddha.
The four truths grew to be of central importance in the Theravada tradition of Buddhism by about the 5th-century CE, which holds that the insight into the four truths is liberating in itself. They are less prominent in the Mahayana tradition, which sees the higher aims of insight into sunyata, emptiness, and following the Bodhisattva path as central elements in their teachings and practice. The Mahayana tradition reinterpreted the four truths to explain how a liberated being can still be "pervasively operative in this world". Beginning with the exploration of Buddhism by western colonialists in the 19th century and the development of Buddhist modernism, they came to be often presented in the west as the central teaching of Buddhism, sometimes with novel modernistic reinterpretations very different from the historic Buddhist traditions in Asia.
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Sunday Lecture Two Truths, Four Noble Truths, Humility, Buddha Ancestors, New Year, Liberation,... |
Dec 30 2001 Green Gulch |
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Activity and StillnessSerial: BZ-00065B Saturday Lecture Posture, Stillness, Composure, Pure Existence, Four Noble Truths, Teacher-and-Student... |
Dec 15 2001 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Eightfold Path: First Two AspectsSerial: BZ-00097B Rohatsu Day 2 Right Speech, Renunciation, Four Noble Truths, Daily Life, Building, Impermanence,... |
Dec 03 2001 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Pilgrimage and Victims of ViolenceSerial: BZ-00094B Lecture War, Four Noble Truths, Commitment, Enemies, Culture, Non-violence, American,... |
Nov 10 2001 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Aspects of Practice: Prajna ParmitaSerial: BZ-00474A Class 4 of 4 Heart Sutra, Complete Perfect Enlightenment, Chanting, Hindrances, Aspects of... |
Oct 25 2001 4 Berkeley Zen Center |
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2001.10.21-serial.00087 Repentance, Four Noble Truths, Precepts, Beginners, Posture, Impermanence, Funeral,... |
Oct 21 2001 |
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Aspects of Practice: LineageSerial: BZ-00475 Class 3 of 4 Lineage, Transmission, Culture, Aspects of Practice, Eight Awarenesses, Birth-and-... |
Oct 18 2001 3 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Dogen's ZazengiSerial: BZ-00086A Ego and Consciousness, Saturday Lecture Zazengi, Consciousness, Ego, Four Noble Truths, Discrimination, Ego, Concentration,... |
Aug 18 2001 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Four Noble Truths and Prison Food Right Effort, Four Noble Truths, Right Speech, Concentration, Mindfulness,... |
Jun 02 2001 Berkeley Zen Center |
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2001.05.19-serial.00046 Posture, Daily Life, Don't Know Mind, Ego, Four Noble Truths, Silent... |
May 19 2001 |
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Memories of Maylie Four Noble Truths, Right Speech, Peace, Daily Life, American, Priest, Silence,... |
May 12 2001 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Discrimination, Non-discrimination, and Essence of MindSerial: BZ-00098A Saturday Lecture Discrimination, Discrimination, Dream World, Attachment, Posture, Platform Sutra,... |
Mar 17 2001 Berkeley Zen Center |
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2001.02.04-serial.00049 Precepts, Heart Sutra, Four Noble Truths, confusion, Dependent Origination, Subject-... |
Feb 04 2001 |
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Interview with Sojun Mel WeitsmanSerial: BZ-00067 Interview 3 of 3 Priest, training, Four Noble Truths, Fundraising, Renunciation, Dharma Transmission,... |
Jan 08 2001 3 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Tozan and Aspects of Self Practice Period, Giving-and-Taking, Four Noble Truths, Liberation, Soto Zen, Building... |
Nov 25 2000 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Birth and Death: Dogen’s Zenki and ShojiSerial: BZ-00489 Class 1 of 4 Birth-and-Death, Vow, Attachment, Big Mind, Samsara, Bodhisattva Vow, Four Noble... |
Nov 02 2000 1 Berkeley Zen Center |
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The Diamond Sutra: CommentarySerial: BZ-00916 Class 4 of 5 Anger, Karma, Attachment, Nirvana, Liberation, Obstacles, Four Noble Truths, Vow,... |
Oct 07 2000 4 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Zen Balance: Authentic Life Path confusion, Four Noble Truths, Interdependence, Renunciation, Buddha Ancestors,... |
Sep 23 2000 Unknown |
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Sunday Lecture Four Noble Truths, Right Effort, Greed, Attachment, Bodhidharma, Karma, Three... |
Sep 17 2000 Green Gulch |
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Surangama Sutra Class confusion, Four Noble Truths, Don't Know Mind, Delusion, Discrimination, Heart... |
Sep 11 2000 Unknown |
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Women Ancestors Class Nirvana, Peace, Four Noble Truths, Ordination, Funeral, Demons, Lay, Happiness,... |
Aug 08 2000 Unknown |
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Turning the Light Around Inward Complete Perfect Enlightenment, Religion, Four Noble Truths, Concentration, Culture,... |
Jul 22 2000 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Four Noble Truths ClassSerial: BZ-00855 Class 5 of 5 Right Effort, Right Speech, Concentration, Silence, Four Noble Truths, Enemies,... |
May 11 2000 5 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Four Noble Truths ClassSerial: BZ-00856 Class 4 of 5 Right Speech, Right Effort, Four Noble Truths, Renunciation, Non-violence,... |
May 04 2000 4 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Wednesday Lecture Precepts, Bodhisattva Precepts, Ordination, Suzuki Roshi, Patience, Liberation, Zazen... |
May 03 2000 Green Gulch |
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Four Noble Truths ClassSerial: BZ-00857 Class 3 of 5 Four Noble Truths, Dependent Origination, resistance, Attachment, Renunciation, War,... |
Apr 27 2000 3 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Four Noble Truths ClassSerial: BZ-00858 Class 2 of 5 Dependent Origination, Two Truths, Four Noble Truths, War, Sixth Patriarch,... |
Apr 20 2000 2 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Four Noble Truths ClassSerial: BZ-00915 Class 1 of 5 Four Noble Truths, Right Effort, Liberation, Separation, Impermanence, Peace, Right... |
Apr 13 2000 1 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Joshua’s Use of 24 HoursSerial: BZ-00207A Sesshin Day Two Blue Cliff Record, Attachment, Four Noble Truths, Soto Zen, Rinzai, Concentration,... |
Mar 25 2000 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Zen Steps to Spiritual Awakening Vow, Big Mind, Bodhisattva Vow, Bodhisattva Way, Bodhisattva Ceremony, Four Noble... |
Mar 01 2000 City Center |
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Attachment and Death Impermanence, Attachment, Four Noble Truths, Happiness, Practice Period, Tassajara... |
Feb 05 2000 Berkeley Zen Center |
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2000.02.02-serial.00122 Heart Sutra, Four Noble Truths, Buddha Nature, Buddha Mind, Freedom, lecture,... |
Feb 02 2000 |
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January Practice Period Class Heart Sutra, Duality, Non-duality, Four Noble Truths, Six Realms, Liberation, Two... |
Jan 19 2000 Green Gulch |
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January Practice Period Class Emptiness, Four Noble Truths, Dependent Origination, Blue Cliff Record, Posture, Two... |
Jan 15 2000 Green Gulch |
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Faith as a Journey in ZenSerial: SF-00033 Sunday dharma talk. Dragons, Faith, New Year, Doubt, Mahayana, Karma, Four Noble Truths, Precepts, Three... |
Jan 02 2000 |
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Dependent Origination Dependent Origination, Attachment, Mindfulness, Heart Sutra, Liberation, Four Noble... |
Sep 04 1999 Berkeley Zen Center |
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The Heart SutraSerial: BZ-00921 Class 5 of 5 Complete Perfect Enlightenment, Four Noble Truths, Hindrances, Samsara, Liberation,... |
Aug 05 1999 5 Berkeley Zen Center |
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I Vow to Save All Sentient BeingsSerial: BZ-00191A Saturday Lecture Bodhisattva Vow, Vow, Four Noble Truths, Evil, Karma, Repentance, confusion, true... |
Jul 31 1999 Berkeley Zen Center |
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The Heart SutraSerial: BZ-00922 Class 4 of 5 Four Noble Truths, Ego, causation, Heart Sutra, First Principle, true dharma, Right... |
Jul 29 1999 4 Berkeley Zen Center |
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The Heart SutraSerial: BZ-00923 Class 3 of 5 Heart Sutra, Oneness, Mahayana, Four Noble Truths, Six Realms, Interview, Bodhisattva... |
Jul 22 1999 3 Berkeley Zen Center |
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The Heart SutraSerial: BZ-00925 Class 1 of 5 Heart Sutra, Six Realms, Lotus Sutra, Chanting, Four Noble Truths, Doubt, Mindfulness... |
Jul 08 1999 1 Berkeley Zen Center |
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One-day Sitting Lecture Liberation, Vow, Four Noble Truths, Dragons, causation, realization, Birth-and-Death... |
Jun 26 1999 Green Gulch |
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Lotus SutraSerial: BZ-00835 The second in a series of five classes on the Lotus Sutra taught by Ryuei Michael McCormick, a teacher in the Nichiren tradition, and sponsored by Maylie Scott. ... Lotus Sutra, Dependent Origination, Four Noble Truths, Nirvana, Buddha Nature,... |
Apr 08 1999 2 of 5 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Lotus SutraSerial: BZ-00836 The first in a series of five classes on the Lotus Sutra taught by Ryuei Michael McCormick, a teacher in the Nichiren tradition, and sponsored by Maylie Scott. ... Lotus Sutra, Sixth Patriarch, Four Noble Truths, Heart Sutra, Mahayana, Buddha Nature... |
Apr 01 1999 1 of 5 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Sunday Lecture Lotus Sutra, Samsara, Precepts, training, Four Noble Truths, Hate, Vow, Right Effort... |
Jan 31 1999 Green Gulch |
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American Zen Alms-Prayer Pilgrimage Four Noble Truths, War, Mindfulness, American, Soto Zen, Gratitude, Bell, Culture,... |
Aug 01 1998 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Sunday Lecture Four Noble Truths, Anger, Ordination, Right Effort, Right Speech, Letting Go, Peace,... |
Jul 12 1998 Green Gulch |
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Wednesday Lecture Suzuki Roshi, Four Noble Truths, Chanting, Funeral, Conversation, Precepts, Anger,... |
Jul 01 1998 Green Gulch |
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Women Teachers Interview, Vow, Mahayana, Four Noble Truths, true dharma, Chanting, Lotus Sutra,... |
Nov 16 1997 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Majjhima Nikaya ClassSerial: SF-03195 Middle-length Discourses Attachment, Addiction, Mindfulness, confusion, Four Noble Truths, Emptiness, Zazen,... |
Oct 14 1997 Green Gulch |