If you don’t understand the Four Noble Truths, and if you have not experienced the truth of this teaching personally, it is impossible to practice Buddha Dharma.
- His Holiness the Dalai Lama, The Four Noble Truths, p.1.
These words of His Holiness the Dalai Lama imply that Shakyamuni Buddha’s first teaching, The Four Noble Truths Sutra, underlies the entire Buddhist path. In one way, the four noble truths can be viewed as the Buddha’s description or explanation of his personal transition from a suffering human being to an awakened one. Yet the Buddha clearly intended the Sutra to have a universal application. Subsequently, the Buddha’s teachings and all Buddhist systems of teachings and presentations developed as pathways going from being unenlightened to knowing reality just as it is – as either an arhat or an arya.
As unenlightened beings, we all continuously cycle through suffering realms due to the fundamental ignorance or unawareness or confusion that veils our view of reality. Fundamental ignorance in turn fuels afflicted emotions and thoughts, which disturb our minds and cause more experiences of suffering. Fortunately, that is not all there is to life.There is a remedy. Our experience can change. This seemingly never-ending wheel of misfortune can be transformed over time into freedom from suffering; we can have a mind of peace, joy, and love.
When we recognize the truths of suffering and its origin, we begin to turn away from ordinary life. When we understand the truth of cessation, we enthusiastically adopt the path that leads to it. Compassion arises from both renunciation and wisdom. Through study, contemplation and meditation, we can progress on the path, and continue on until it is completed in the manifestation the two buddha bodies. What better way to live now and in the future?
The Four Noble Truths Program will depend mainly on teachings by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Ven Geshe Tashi Tsering. Participants are asked to purchase copies of The Four Noble Truths by His Holiness, and Geshe Tashi Tsering’s book of the same title. Other assigned readings will be made available on Google Drive.
The course starts February 6, 2022, and continues until April 30.
In study groups we learn through sharing our explorations of Dharma teachings. The group is like a sounding board for trying out new ideas or working toward clarification of difficult points. Sharing unique insights promotes learning from one another. Varying interpretations are to be expected and encouraged. Discussing differences offers opportunities to uncover the richness of the teachings and broaden our view of the practices.
Each participant will be a member of an online group of at least five and at the most seven people. The main topic is studied in two-week segments over 12 weeks.
During the first week of a two-week section, each participant reads and contemplates the assigned teachings. Then the group members meet online to discuss the readings and their contemplations.
During the second week, participants continue studying and contemplating the readings to deepen understanding and experience. At the end of the second week, each group meets online with either Francis or Jean. Each participant will make a short presentation about the topic and their meditations on it. There will also be a Q & A session. These sessions are two hours long. That procedure will be followed for the entire 12-week program.
Francis and Jean individually meet with each group on an alternating schedule. Personal interviews with Francis and/or Jean can be made upon request.
Each program has no more than five groups. Some study groups have the same members from program to program. Others change. Each group chooses its own meeting day and time, but there can be only one group on any given day. We do our best to connect folks who can agree on meeting times.
Each group must meet once a week but can meet more often.
Groups assign one person as a facilitator at the first meeting, and that person can remain as the facilitator or facilitation can rotate among group members from week-to-week. Facilitators begin each meeting by leading refuge and bodhicitta recitations, and end the meeting by leading the dedication. They keep meetings moving and keep things on time, and they are responsible for having the group agree on decisions that may have to be made.
In addition, one or more persons in the group will be responsible for setting up the Zoom meetings for the group and sending out the invitations to the group members. This includes the meetings with Jean and Francis. If no one in the group pays for the Zoom account, let us know. (Free accounts are allowed sessions that are only 45 minutes long.)
Before registering, consider that you are committing to:
All Vast and Profound online activities are offered free of charge, and that includes The Four Noble Truths group study program. You can register by sending an email to office@vastandprofound.org. As soon as possible after registration, a program syllabus will be sent to you. Register as soon as you can if you want to participate. Space is limited.
Best wishes from Francis and Jean on behalf of Vast & Profound.
