by Chade-Meng Tan | Nov 6, 2023 | Buddhism for All
In his first discourse, the Buddha explained the causes of suffering. Actually, he only identified one cause: craving. This statement, that the cause of suffering is craving, is the Second Noble Truth. Within this simple statement is a major...
by Chade-Meng Tan | Nov 5, 2023 | Buddhism for All
It was the final climactic scene of the movie. A huge bomb was about to blow up an entire building. The clock was in its final countdown. All attempts by the hero to disarm the bomb had failed. They were mere seconds away from the explosion. What to do? Being the...
by Chade-Meng Tan | Nov 5, 2023 | Buddhism.net Blog
Friends, If Soryu and I were forced to name one of the Four Noble Truths as the “linchpin” of the four, we would both choose the Second Noble. Because the Second Noble Truth primarily tells us that suffering has causes that accord with natural laws of cause and...
by Chade-Meng Tan | Nov 3, 2023 | Buddhism for All
Imagine living in a weird world where cars come with a self-destruct button that you can order as an add-on. It’s a big red button right beside the cupholders that says, “Self-destruct, DO NOT PRESS”. If you press the button, the car blows up, with you in...
by Chade-Meng Tan | Nov 2, 2023 | Buddhism for All
It is common among Buddhists to erroneously claim that the First Noble Truth proclaims, “Life is suffering.” That mistake is understandable, I catch myself doing it frequently too. There are two problems with that claim. First, according to the...
