The First Noble Truthis often translated as "life is suffering." This is not as dire as it sounds; it's actually quite the opposite, which is why it can be confusing. Much confusion is due to the English translation of the Pali/Sanskrit word dukkhaas "suffering." According to the Ven. Ajahn Sumedho, a Theravadin monk and scholar, the word actually ...

The Second Noble Truthteaches that the cause of suffering is greed or desire. The actual word from the early scriptures is tanha, and this is more accurately translated as "thirst" or "craving." We continually search for something outside ourselves to make us happy. But no matter how successful we are, we never remain satisfied. The Second Truth is...

The Buddha's teachings on the Four Noble Truths are sometimes compared to a physician diagnosing an illness and prescribing a treatment. The first truth tells us what the illness is and the second truth tells us what causes the illness. The Third Noble Truth holds out hope for a cure. The solution to dukkha is to stop clinging and attaching. But ho...