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Basic Buddhist Teachings 26
The Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path are the foundation of the winter retreat at Lower Hamlet. The Four Noble Truths function like medical principles: recognizing suffering, understanding its causes, seeing the possibility of ending suffering, and practicing the path to end suffering. To clearly see the truth of suffering, one needs right view, which means recognizing and naming one’s suffering. Suffering comes in many forms such as depression, fear, despair, or the feeling of being oppressed. Instead of hiding suffering, we need to use mindfulness and concentration to illuminate its nature.
Suffering is nourished by four kinds of nutriments: edible food (physical food), sense impressions (contact through the senses), volition (thoughts), and consciousness. To end suffering, it is necessary to practice right speech, right action, and right livelihood to avoid polluting the environment and one’s own mind. The 37 aids to enlightenment can be summarized into 10 core elements: Faith, Precepts, Thought, Diligence, Mindfulness, Concentration, Wisdom, Ease, Joy, and Letting Go. Practicing within the context of the Sangha will make it easier to apply the teachings to life, transforming garbage into flowers and suffering into peace.