Dharma Talk | 8/7/16

It’s the Suffering, Stupid!

The Buddha said “I teach one thing and one thing only: that is suffering and the end of suffering.” But, in modern Buddhist practice this fundamental teaching is rarely taught in depth or fully appreciated. The Buddha also said, however, that all of the teachings are contained in the Four Noble Truths and it is the road map to true liberation. So, it demands in depth discussion and continuous practice. We’ll be returning to this foundation of Buddhism and see how fundamental suffering it is to spirituality. We’ll discuss how to practice recognizing suffering, its causes, and its cure in our daily lives, reminding ourselves that “It’s the Suffering, Stupid”.

John de Castro

He received his doctorate in Biopsychology from the University of Massachusetts and served as Professor of Psychology and Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Sam Houston State University until his retirement in 2015. He is currently Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies and writes a daily blog on mindfulness (http://contemplative-studies.org/wp/). John is a simple traveler on the path, studying and practicing Buddhism with the Zen Mind Buddhist Sangha, Open Gate Sangha, and the EDG.