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Episode 1, 1 December 2014, Gautama Buddha’s First Truth

Gautama Buddha’s First teaching, the first of the Four Noble Truths, is that there is suffering.

Suffering is inescapable and manifests in three forms: the suffering of pain, the suffering of happiness and, the all pervasive suffering.
Through fully understanding this first teaching, and appreciating the true nature of our relationship with the world, we see how suffering is unavoidable and necessarily manifests in our lives.

Only then are we are able to seek a solution; firstly, through identification of its causes, the teaching of the Second Noble Truth.

Intro - Welcome to Buddhism Guide’s Audio blog, a contemporary look at Gautama Buddhist Teachings, from Karma Yeshe Rabgye.
      * Find out more at http://buddhismguide.org

[00:19] This episode: Gautama Buddha’s First teaching.
      * On the Four Noble Truths;
      * The foundation on which Buddhism is built.
     
[00:47] The First Noble Truth: There is suffering.
      * The definition of suffering;
      * A dissatisfaction, discontentment, an uneasy feeling running through our lives. 
      * Gautama Buddha stated that there are three types of suffering:
        1. The Suffering of pain - our daily, physical and mental suffering;
        2. The Suffering of happiness - the lurking, just around the corner suffering of the the sadness that comes from loss - the change of happiness;
        3. The all pervasive Suffering - a condition that exists because of how we perceive ourselves in relation to the world. You could say that our entire worldly experience is a definition of suffering that we can’t even see.

[03:50] How do we see ourselves in the world?
      * Separate: I’m here, and the world is outside of me. In other words as subject and object. We see ourselves as the solid, independent self.
      * This is not true, we are actually the coming together of 5 things.

[04:20] The Five Aggregates
      * So the way we look at things: subject and object, me and everything else, is in some way, the cause of our suffering and that will come back to us in the future.
      * Like eating a wonderful meal but not knowing it has been poisoned.

[04:56] So why did Buddha want us to know that we have suffering in our lives?
      * To help us understand we have a problem. If we don’t know we have a problem we will not look for a solution;
      * If we know we are suffering we will look for the causes of the suffering and a cure;
      * If we fully understand this First Truth we can move onto the the next Noble Truth - The causes of suffering.

[05:55] Outro
      * You can find more information about this subject in Karma Yeshe 
Rabgye’s books at http://buddhismguide.org/books/
        1. The best way to catch a snake – A Practical Guide to the Buddha’s Teachings;
        2. Life’s meandering path – A Secular Approach to Gautama Buddha’s Guide to Living;
        3. Ripples in the stream – A Pragmatic Journey Through Gautama Buddha’s Teachings.
      
      * They’re available now, from Amazon and Kindle.
      * Thank you for listening, and I hope you enjoyed this blog post.

Gautama Buddha's First Truth

Episode 3, 3 December 2014, Gautama Buddha’s Second Truth

Intro Welcome to Buddhism Guide’s Audio blog

    A contemporary look at Gautama Buddha’s Teachings, from Karma Yeshe Rabgye.
    Find out more, at http://www.buddhismguide.org
    A transcript of this episode can be found at http://buddhismguide.org/audio-blog-archive/audio-blog-transcripts

This Episode: Gautama Buddha’s Second Truth. [00:17]

    In the First Truth, Gautama Buddha encouraged us to fully understand that there is suffering in every corner of our lives.
    In his Second Truth, he tells us what causes these sufferings.

1. Desire [01:05]
    Our desires are never-ending.
    Once we have something new, we start wanting something else.
    So, if we understand this we will not become attached to things, which in turn will end that particular type of suffering.

2. Anger and Aversion. [02:37]
    Aversion is the opposite to attachment,
    and Anger leads to hatred, discrimination, aggression, and a lack of compassion.

3. Unawareness [05:41]
    Here unawareness means: lack of understanding of the true nature of things.
    
Outro [08:04]
    You can find more information about this subject in Karma Yeshe Rabgye’s books at http://www.buddhismguide.org/books/
        The best way to catch a snake – A Practical Guide to the Buddha’s Teachings;
        Life’s meandering path – A Secular Approach to Gautama Buddha’s Guide to Living;
        Ripples in the stream – A Pragmatic Journey Through Gautama Buddha’s Teachings.
    They’re available now, from Amazon and Kindle.
    Thank you for listening, and I hope you enjoyed this blog post.

Gautama Buddha's Second Truth

Episode 5, 5 December 2014, Gautama Buddha's Third Truth

Intro Welcome to Buddhism Guide’s Audio blog.

    A contemporary look at Gautama Buddha’s Teachings, from Karma Yeshe Rabgye.
    Find out more, at http://www.buddhismguide.org
    A transcript of this episode is available at http://www.buddhismguide.org/audio-blog-archive/audio-blog-transcripts/episode-5-transcript-gautama-buddhas-third-truth

This Episode: Gautama Buddha's Third Truth. [00:17]
1. This Truth is called Nirvana, liberation, enlightenment, and so on [00:22]
    Some think, that if you reach Nirvana you will never be born again, others think you will be reborn, but you can pick where.
    For people who do not believe in rebirth, they see it as something we can achieve in this lifetime.

2. The Highest Happiness. [01:46]
    Gautama Buddha said that Nirvana is the highest happiness, but he wasn't talking about mundane happiness we strive for in our everyday lives.
    He was talking about absolute freedom from evil, freedom from craving, attachment, desire, hatred and unawareness.
    All of this we can achieve in this very lifetime by truly understanding the Four Nobel Truths, and following the Eight-fold Path.
    Once we start mediating on these teachings and turning them from knowledge to wisdom, we will start to change our actions of body, speech and mind.
    Remember, knowledge is something learned, something intellectual, whereas wisdom is a part of our very lives.

3. The first bit of good news. [02:39]
    So this is the first bit of good news.
    Nirvana can be reached by anyone, whether they call themselves Buddhist or not.
    You just have to put in the work.

4. A Second Bit of Good News. [04:02]
    So this is a second bit of good news.
        We do not have to die to attain Nirvana.
        It can be obtained during this lifetime.

5. We do not have to die to realise Nirvana. [04:54]
    So in a nutshell I believe Nirvana isn't a metaphysical thing, it isn't a place to go to, and we do not have to die to realise Nirvana.
    It is an extinguishing of our afflictive states of mind and can be reached by anyone in this very lifetime.

Outro. [05:14]
    You can find more information about this subject in Karma Yeshe Rabgye’s books at http://www.buddhismguide.org/books/
        The best way to catch a snake – A Practical Guide to the Buddha’s Teachings;
        Life’s meandering path – A Secular Approach to Gautama Buddha’s Guide to Living;
        Ripples in the stream – A Pragmatic Journey Through Gautama Buddha’s Teachings.
    They’re available now, from Amazon and Kindle.
    Thank you for listening, and I hope you enjoyed this blog post.

Gautama Buddha's Third Truth

Episode 6, 6 December 2014, Gautama Buddha's Fourth Truth.

Intro: Welcome to Buddhism Guide’s Audio blog.

    A contemporary look at Gautama Buddha’s Teachings, from Karma Yeshe Rabgye.
    Find out more, at http://www.buddhismguide.org
    A transcript of this episode is available at http://buddhismguide.org/audio-blog-archive/audio-blog-transcripts/episode-6-transcript-gautama-buddhas-fourth-truth

This Episode: Gautama Buddha's Fourth Truth. [00:17]
1. What is your view? [00:22]

    In the fourth of Gautama Buddha's truths, he explains the path we need to take to free ourselves from suffering.
    It is known as the Eightfold Path, and it comprises of three aspects:
        Seeing Clearly, is the first part and it includes:
            Right View, and
            Right Intention.
 
2. Right View. [01:19]

    Setting out on the Eightfold Path without the Right View is like starting a journey without a map.
    If you get into your car without knowing where you are going and what landmarks you are going to encounter along the way, you are bound to get lost.
    Similarly, if you set of on this path and have no idea what you are doing you will become lost and disillusioned.
    First, get the view correct and the rest will become clearer.

3. Cause and Effect, and Karma. [02:52]

    Here, some would say we need to understand the workings of Karma, but this is such a hot potato these days.
    If you believe in Karma and Rebirth, and it motivates you to be a good person, then follow that view.
    However if you are not a lover of Rebirth, and prefer to keep your Buddhism firmly planted in this life, then you should understand the workings of Cause and Effect.
        Whatever we do there will be a result.
    Life is like an echo:
        Whatever you put out comes back;
    Once you have the Right View concerning Suffering and Cause and Effect, you will be ready to move along the path.
    Next time, I'll talk about Right Intention.

Outro. [04:55]

    You can find more information about this subject in Karma Yeshe Rabgye’s books at http://www.buddhismguide.org/books/
        The best way to catch a snake – A Practical Guide to the Buddha’s Teachings;
        Life’s meandering path – A Secular Approach to Gautama Buddha’s Guide to Living;
        Ripples in the stream – A Pragmatic Journey Through Gautama Buddha’s Teachings.
    They’re available now, from Amazon and Kindle.
    Thank you for listening, and I hope you enjoyed this blog post.

Gautama Buddha's Fourth Truth

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SynTalk is a freewheeling interdisciplinary talk show with a philosophical approach to understanding the world from a long term perspective.