The Heart of Buddha's Teaching
For forty-five years after enlightenment, the Buddha repeated a simple declaration: “I teach only suffering and the transformation of suffering.” This statement, attributed to Gautama Buddha, has often been misunderstood. Many conclude that Buddhism proclaims: “Life is suffering.” But that is not what the Buddha taught. He taught that suffering must be recognized, understood, and transformed. He never taught that suffering is the ultimate truth of existence. In fact, the Third Noble Truth affirms precisely the opposite: the cessation of suffering is real. Joy is real. Liberation is real. The First Dharma Talk: Not Pessimism, But Medicine: After his awakening beneath the Bodhi tree, the Buddha walked to Deer Park in Sarnath and delivered what is known as the “Turning of the Wheel of Dharma.” Three themes characterized this first teaching: The Middle Way — avoiding both self-mortification and indulgence. The Four Noble Truths — a diagnostic path of healing. Engagement in the world — ...