Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver

The Four Noble Truths and the Middle Way: Foundations of the Journey


Listen Later

The Buddha’s Early Life & Awakening

Siddhartha was a protected prince, shielded from suffering by his father.

He encountered old age, sickness, and death for the first time during a trip outside the palace.

This led him to renounce his privileged life and seek liberation from suffering.

He meditated under the Bodhi tree, seeking truth beyond suffering.

Achieved enlightenment, saw through the nature of suffering, and articulated the Four Noble Truths.


The Four Noble Truths (Overview):

  1. Life is suffering (Dukkha) – More accurately, life is unsatisfying because everything is impermanent.
  2. Cause of suffering – Grasping, clinging, and pretending we can make things unchanging.
  3. Cessation of suffering – Let go of grasping, and suffering will cease.
  4. Path to cessation – The Noble Eightfold Path (e.g., right view, right speech, right livelihood, etc.).


Three Types of Suffering:

  1. Suffering of suffering – Painful experiences like illness and death; inevitable.
  2. Suffering of change – Joy and success are temporary; fear of loss brings suffering.
  3. All-pervasive suffering – A background unease or existential dissatisfaction, even when life is “good.”


The Middle Way:

Buddhism embraces neither eternalism (belief in eternal divine reward/punishment) nor nihilism (belief in nothing beyond material existence).


The Middle Way is not the mid-point between the two. What is it?


Direct Experience Over Belief:

Don’t take the Buddha’s word for it — verify teachings through your own lived experience.


Belief systems, even Buddhist ones, are seen as potential obstacles.


Wisdom comes from mixing teachings with direct experience, not from intellectualization.


Final Reflection:

The true spiritual path is one’s own journey of discovery.

All teachings are tools; the real teacher is your own mind, inseparable from wisdom itself.



Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]

Produced by Citizens of Sound

Music by: Derek O'Brien

©Open Heart Project

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan PiverBy Susan Piver

  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5

5

15 ratings


More shows like Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver

View all
Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast by Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

261 Listeners

On Being with Krista Tippett by On Being Studios

On Being with Krista Tippett

10,356 Listeners

Sounds True: Insights at the Edge by Tami Simon

Sounds True: Insights at the Edge

1,827 Listeners

AudioDharma: Gil Fronsdal's most recent dharma talks by www.audiodharma.org

AudioDharma: Gil Fronsdal's most recent dharma talks

484 Listeners

Good Life Project by Jonathan Fields / Acast

Good Life Project

3,297 Listeners

Tricycle Talks by Tricycle: The Buddhist Review

Tricycle Talks

345 Listeners

The One You Feed by iHeartPodcasts

The One You Feed

2,514 Listeners

Heart Wisdom with Jack Kornfield by Be Here Now Network

Heart Wisdom with Jack Kornfield

1,447 Listeners

Metta Hour with Sharon Salzberg by Be Here Now Network

Metta Hour with Sharon Salzberg

684 Listeners

The Wisdom Podcast by The Wisdom Podcast

The Wisdom Podcast

321 Listeners

Untangle by Untangle

Untangle

828 Listeners

10% Happier with Dan Harris by 10% Happier

10% Happier with Dan Harris

12,509 Listeners

How to Train a Happy Mind by Scott Snibbe

How to Train a Happy Mind

139 Listeners

Mind & Life by Mind & Life Institute

Mind & Life

267 Listeners

The Way Out Is In by Plum Village

The Way Out Is In

1,236 Listeners