Check out this video next on the practice of the Four Noble Truths: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/nbF5n91mrsWUeHU.html Consider joining us on Patreon if you find benefit in these videos! Get fun extras like exclusive behind-the-scenes videos, audio-only versions, and extensive show notes: www.patreon.com/dougsseculardharma 🙂

You are a truly gifted teacher in finding and sharing the essence of Buddhism truths

What a wonderful & distilled dharma talk. Thank You

the most factual statement ever made "life is difficult"

Really GOOD truth about our life 🇳🇵🇳🇵🇳🇵🇳🇵

Thanks for your perspective and sharing your approach. Seems reasonable & interesting! May we be free from suffering. May we be free from delusions.

Learning to experience pain, without suffering due to pain.

Great ! Thank you for spreading, explaining , sharing & releasing your thoughts on these teachings !

Another great video Doug, thanks so much. This topic reminded me of the Russ Harris book 'The Happiness Trap' where he explains how we can escape from the false belief that life is all about craving instant gratification. We can move ourselves to a position of greater understanding and acceptance of the unsatisfactoriness of life - meditation being one route. Bizarrely it seems the more we accept unsatisfactoriness, the better we feel!

Thank you Doug💐🙏

Was searching for a KZfaq channel on Buddhism and came across this one. Great content. I am glad I found this channel.

Very nice! I wish this talk had been available when I picked up my first book on Buddhism (of course, there wasn't even an Internet then). Brian has an excellent point. I think this is particularly the case in the Vipassana movement, where there is often a belief that just being with suffering passively is the best way to achieve insights that ultimately lead to reductions in suffering. Taking a somewhat different tack, In Seeing That Frees, which is admittedly not a book for complete beginners, Rob Burbea talks about how, once we are familiar with dukkha, we can see for ourselves which ways of practice and of seeing increase dukkha, and which ways decrease dukkha.That is to say, we can actively get involved in, and increasingly turn off, the processes that generate dukkha, first during meditation, and then off the cushion. As you say, this is the whole point.

I agree 💯. I also think you need an object of devotion (which is yourself) to master your own mind how to let the craving or attachment be the better of yourself.

Nicely explained, thank you.

Amazing 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻, really nice 👌👌

Reminded of a quote from Benjamin Franklin.“Contentment makes poor men rich, Discontent makes rich men poor.”

Great video.

Great stuff as always! Maybe you can consider making the audio track of your videos available as podcasts on spotify? I would enjoy that! Have a great day

Hi Doug, thanks again for your clarity. I would be grateful for a link to the article you published regarding the 4 ennobling truths (as Batchelor puts it) and would be keen to read a book published by you, especially if it is as clear and concise as your online dharma. If I may reflect my current understanding on the point under discussion. At times, oftentimes, we can be compared to addicts who want to stay perpetually high. This craving to stay high paradoxically perpetuates the very suffering we seek to avoid. What is your poison? The 4 antidotes, which depending on the extent we apply them, detox this paradoxical craving which perpetuates unnecessary suffering. When first administered these antidotes lessen, but do not eradicate root addiction; methadone for heroin. However, to lessen is not the task, liberation from the root addiction is the task. Imagining you well. Aye the best From an uncommonly sunny Scotland. James

Thank you for this video, Doug. It helped me understand the mechanic behind the practice, which before I could only hope was there. I have been practicing for several years and often felt like a failure because craving continues. I have made milestones in progress that shows the process you describe in action. As an example, I still crave nicotine and have not fully embraced quitting, but I have been able to only use it in certain circumstances and just be present and more comfortable with the discomfort, if you will, of not smoking when I'm not allowing myself to. It's not ideal, so I don't tell very many people about my experience with the Dharma, since we would imagine Buddhists to be serene without smoking or vaping, and I don't want to portray Buddhism in a poor light. I do recognize the progress is there, however. I've made it as far as I have with the practice of relaxing around craving and no longer identifying it as part of myself. When craving calls, I can choose to not answer, at least not then and there. Now, if I can just learn to want to quit outright, that would be the right view :)

This is a wonderful video. Short yet packed with meaning. I have a question: What about suffering as a result of being emotionally abused? How can we apply this in that situation. I can certainly understand that a craving for an object or even for contact with a person might dissolve under the light of critical analysis. But I find it much harder to 'dissolve' my basic need for being respected, appreciated, etc. I find the teachings on no-self too difficult and abstract to apply in daily life. What would be an appropriate/effective way to fully understand this type of suffering?

Doug, thank you so much for your numerous talks that have helped myself and others on our journey. I'm a newbie (about six months of practice) so I wanted to ask you if you could explain the buddha's perspective on mind altering substances like alcohol, marijuana, etc. I am a casual user of these things, but I sometimes consider complete sobriety because I'm not sure what purpose these things have other than distraction. Still, I do find that I've had several memorable and emotionally fulfilling (even joyful) experiences when I have been slightly under the influence. I'm wondering if these modern day substances have any sort of place in a laypersons life, or if according to the Buddha, there is only harm that can come from them. Thank you so much again for everything you've taught me.

discredit object of desire is so better and easy than 8 big paths. short term and long term solution.

Please make one video on exorcism in Buddhism, because i have never heard about it.

Hi! I enjoyed your mini-lesson. But, I do have to ask, can the 5th precept also pertain to consuming coffee/caffeine? I am struggling with caffeine addiction due to drinking frappucinos daily. It really takes a toll on my study life. Any solutions? 🙏🏽☸️

how to i balance trying to find a job and not wanting to be hired by an employer that will take advantage of you. if you find out that you are not compinsated as well as other for doing the same work does one just let it go?

How are you? If I don't learn Buddhist at least I learn english pronunctiation...

I personally suffer greatly every time I hear someone say the Buddha said "life is suffering". As pointed out in your video, that is not what dukkha means, and on a number of levels it makes no sense to use that word, especially in the context of the Four Noble Truths. Yet Buddhists keep doing so, and I dearly wish they would stop.

There is a question unrelated to this video that has come up with regard to your channel. Some have noticed that you removed the word Secular, going from Doug's Secular Dharma to Doug's Dharma. Would the reason for this possibly be a good topic for a video? If it is something you wish not to discuss, feel free to delete this comment. I will not be offended.

Clinging is a good explanation for suffering. But to what problems could this explanation lead? Will it be wisdom to explain everything with clinging. I mean, do we get a good explanation of this world, or suffering? Ive heard a story about a 13 old girl, probably, I do not remember her age well, she was raped by many guys somewhere outside, and she was always fainting at the slightest cue of sexuality, she could just hear the word ,,sex,, and was instantly away. How do you want to explain her suffering lying in clinging? Could you look her in her eyes and explain something about karma? I mean things happen, we suffer because bad things happen. Bad things happen, believe me. Why don't we take things as they are, I mean shouldn't we understand reality? Don't we run danger to lose the correct understanding of this world, by accepting clinging as the cause of suffering? I mean, people should be free in choosing the life they want to live, expressing their opinion, expressing themselves. In my opinion there is no better understanding of some human conducts written in the laws of a democratic country, for example Germany. It is a good explanation of proper conduct, for example someones right of killing, in order to defend oneself. Don't we run danger to go insane, by not killing anyone in order to defend someone? Would you let a terrorist explode a whole school of little children?

Problem is we live in a illusion, we chasing dreams and attached so many things, , our main task in here is escape from this illusion. we live only 60 or 70 years but we are going to suffer millions of billions years after this, please use this chance to escape. Follow buddha's teaching to escape from this.