Series 1: Getting Started
Over these 6 weeks we will be covering the earliest teachings of the Buddha, The Four Noble Truths. You will learn why these are the foundation of Buddhist Study, where he outlines the problem of suffering, describes the causes of suffering, tells us why there can be an end to suffering and finally outlines a path to achieve it.
Week 1 Wednesday November 13
An overview of the Four Noble Truths. Why the Buddha was on this topic. How he attained realization of the underlying truths. Overview of the 4 fundamental realizations that led to his awakening. What it means for us. Participants will begin to learn terms from the Glossary. There will be plenty of time for question and answer as this series will be very interactive.
Week 2 Wednesday November 20
The First Noble Truth: The Truth of Suffering. The Buddha points out the fundamental problem and the reason why we are here in this class. What are all the kinds and ways of suffering? What do we struggle with in our own lives?
Week 3 Wednesday November 27
The Second Noble Truth: The Truth of the Causes of Suffering. After pointing to the problem, the Buddha moves on to his realization about why suffering even happens. Why aren't we living in the Garden of Eden? This discussion will give us some foreshadowing insight into what can be done.
Week 4 Wednesday December 4
The Third Noble Truth: The Truth of the Cessation of Suffering. Here the Buddha points out the reasons why we are fully able to take control of our lives and begin to create the Causes and Conditions to bring about an end to our suffering. We can take great solace and have hope when we realize the logic and reasoning behind his teachings.
Week 5 Wednesday December 11
The Fourth Noble Truth: The Truth of the Path to Cessation of Suffering. This is where the Buddha answers the question his followers and all of us have asked. "I see the truth of all you've said, but what can I really do to make this all come about?" We'll have a preliminary discussion of the Eightfold Noble Path, which is Buddha's prescription for how to start fixing the problem of suffering. He gives us solid information on where to go next.
Week 6 Wednesday December 18
A review of the previous 5 weeks and a lot of question and answer about what we've learned. We've learned how this all fits together, and that it's based on logic and reasoning, and personal experience. By now you should have a good understanding of the Four Noble Truths, their underlying foundation, and are becoming versed in the terms and ideas we've gone over.