Expert: Joe McSorley - 3/31/2008

Question
can you explain the four noble truths? and what are the some items in the 8 fold path?

Answer
Hi Lex,
  The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism are:
Life is suffering ( dukkha)

 This means that life for humans can always be undermined by grief and sadness.  No matter how happy we are something bad can happen to change it.  We don’t have a foundation of unshakeable joy or happiness.  This is also described as the basic anxiety of being human, that no matter how much we succeed there is still a basic anxiety.

There is a cause (avidya/ignorance)
   The cause of our suffering is that we are ignorant of who we really are.  We don’t know the source of our being and have all sorts of illusions about who we are and what will make us happy.  Classically desire is described as being the root of our ignorance but that comes after the separation of the self from nature.

There is cessation of the cause.
  There is a way to end the suffering, it can be done.

There is a path. ( Margo Yoga)
  There are ways to stop the ignorance of the mind such as zazen (seated meditation), mindfulness practice, koan practice and many other ways that cause the mind to open to true reality.  This is all done by the individual and does not rely on another for the solution.


 The Eightfold Path is:
Right Understanding
Right Thought
Right Speech
Right Action
Right Livelihood
Right Effort
Right Mindfulness
Right Concentration

   I hope this is what you wanted.   Take care,
                 Joe