During this 4 week course we will explore the foundational teachings that were taught by Buddha to understand the nature of suffering and the path towards liberation. Buddha’s teachings pointed out the obvious, namely life is full of suffering. The Four Noble Truths are the roadmap to navigate that suffering. It provides a framework to understand the nature of suffering and how to be free. The Eightfold Path provides clear and practical advice to guide us towards living ethically, training our mind, and cultivating wisdom. Essentially Buddha’s teaching to liberate us from samsara, or the never-ending cycle of suffering. Over the course of 4 weeks we will investigate for ourselves how we can practically rely upon the Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path to support our practice. We will discuss Buddha’s framework for understanding the nature of suffering and the path to liberation. We will explore how the Four Noble Truths arise in our lives and how to apply the antidotes of the Eightfold Path to develop compassion and wisdom for ourselves and towards others.

Weeks 1 & 2 - Overview of the Four Noble Truths, “There is suffering, There is a cause of suffering, There is an end to suffering, and The way out is the Eightfold Path.” We will explore how they arise in our daily lives and why it is important to understand the nature of suffering.

Weeks 3 & 4 - Explore Buddha’s practical advice to approach suffering and to develop greater compassion and wisdom. “Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.