Hinayana IV - Freedom from Suffering (The Buddha’s Third Noble Truth)

Open to everyone. You do not need to have taken the previous Hinayana course. This is the fourth in a series of five courses exploring the profundity of the Hinayana teachings of the Buddha.

Course Outline

This class presents the third noble truth, Freedom from Suffering (Cessation of Suffering), and begins with an exploration of the 3rd Foundation of Mindfulness, Mindfulness of Effort.

Contemplating cessation of suffering, we first see the accessibility of the third noble truth as the gap. We are basically good. Realizing this to be true is that simple, and we are glimpsing this all the time. Joined with this is the full profundity of its meaning: The third noble truth signifies complete liberation from the entire cycle of samsaric existence itself – aging, sickness, death, and rebirth.

Its full profundity is four-fold: (1) thecessation of all causes of suffering, (2) the peace of freedom from the suffering of the five skandhas themselves, (3) perfection of complete freedom from suffering and total joy, and (4) definite release - there is no going back to samsara from this state.

This combination of these two perspectives - the immediacy of the path and the view of profound transcendence - is essential. Without both perspectives, the path can become inaccessible, distant, esoteric or, on the other hand, Buddhism can be seen as existential humanism.

Class 1: Introduction to the Third Noble Truth and Mindfulness of Effort, with Acharya Dan Hessey.

Class 2: Non-Struggle, Cessation, and The Gap (Pre-recorded), with Acharya Suzann Duquette

Class 3: The Radical Fullness of the 3rd Noble Truth as the end of Samsara (Pre-recorded), with Acharya Suzann Duquette

Class 4: Resting in the gap and Vipashyana (Pre-recorded), with Acharya Dan Hessey

Class 5: Applying the Third Noble Truth: Remarks and recorded Q&A with Acharya Suzann Duquette and Acharya Dan Hessey

Click here for the course reading list.

About the Teachers

Acharya Suzann Duquette has been a student in the Shambhala lineage for 45 years and has served as a teacher since the 1980s. Previously a co-director, she is currently Karmê Chöling's Resident Acharya. She is also Rupa Acharya, responsible for Shambhala’s liturgical forms, which includes the training of umdzes and chöpöns through the Shambhala Ritual Academy. Acharya Duquette respects the power of body awareness in deepening spiritual awakening and emphasizes body disciplines in her retreats and programs. She teaches widely, including Shambhala retreats and Mudra Space Awareness, and Daoist-Qigong in the lineage of Dr. Eva Wong.

 

Acharya Dan Hessey has been a student of the Sakyongs since 1973. He has taught meditation, Shambhala Buddhism, and Yijing related programs throughout North America.  He is currently residing at Karmê Chöling with his daughter who recently graduated from Whittier College. This year, he published two of the four planned volumes of Enlightened Society: A Shambhala Buddhist Reading of the Yijing on Amazon books.