Lesson 5: The First Noble Truth – The Truth of Suffering

Instructions:

Book required: The Truth of Suffering and the Path of liberation

For this section of the course, you will need to have Chogram Trungpa Rinpoche’s book, ‘The Truth of Suffering and the Path of liberation’.

Note: You can also download the lesson’s investigations and exercises in the tab above.

Introduction:

Dukkha is often translated into English as suffering. However, this translations comes with a whole set of problems and does not do justice to the actual meaning of Dukkha in Sanskrit.

The word suffering as defined in English is ‘Physical and mental pain’. The pain experienced is often emphasised. However, Dukkha encompasses all emotions as pain. Even what we percieve as lighter and even pleasurable emotions. Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche ofter refers to it as ‘nothing can satisfy us 100%’.

We’ll explore this further in this lesson – The Truth of Suffering.

Reading:

From your book, read Chapter 1, Recognising the Reality of Suffering in n The Truth of Suffering and the Path of Liberation by Chogyam Trungpa

Investigations:

Why do you think that Buddhists emphasise the importance of seeing pain as it is?

Who do you think is cheating you?

Do you agree that there is this struggle? Why/Why not?

Why would being into ourselves create suffering? How does this relate to the previous section regarding the four seals?

Next:

From your book, read Chapter 2: Dissecting the Experience of Suffering in The Truth of Suffering and the Path of Liberation by Chogyam Trungpa

Write a couple of paragraphs on what you consider to be the most important point Trungpa Rinpoche makes in this chapter.

Exercise:

Let’s pretend or not that anxiety is sitting next to you, have a conversation made up or not about how anxiety causes you pain and extend that to pleasure. See if you can write something down about anxiety and the relationship of pleasure and pain. You may want to use prompts like:

Dear anxiety, you cause me pain because I … and just to let you know that I have a craving for chocolate, I eat it, and Yum; and then dear anxiety I want more, why do I want more… Dear anxiety, why is it never lasting, please tell me?

Congratulations, you have now completed lesson 5. Click the next button below to continue to Lesson 6.