People talk about thirsting for power or thirsting for money. There is a grasping or clinging or attachment inherent in that kind of activity. So the cause of suffering is the thirsting of the mind, the driven nature or compulsivity of the mind. The second instruction is therefore to begin to abandon or let go of that compulsivity. And it’s very... See more

A structural background for the Four Noble Truths that might be interesting to understand is that, from the point of view of the Buddha, all conditioned things arise and pass away. They are impermanent. All of our mental formations and all of our mental activity arise and pass away. At some point, it has arisen, and sooner or later, it will pass... See more