What the Buddha Taught: The Four Noble Truths
with Joel Wachbrit & Debra Dysart
Whether you’ve studied Buddhism extensively or are just beginning your exploration, if you’ve ever wondered, "What, exactly, is Buddhism all about?" then join us for four Tuesday evenings as we introduce and begin to unpack together the Four Noble Truths – the foundational teachings of all schools of Buddhism.
The Four Noble Truths are the very first teachings the Buddha gave after he attained complete enlightenment, becoming “The Fully Awakened One.” These four truths – the truth of suffering, it’s causes, liberation from suffering and the path to that liberation – are the foundation of all Buddhist teachings that follow.
This class will explore:
- The path of “individual liberation”: how we can be free from fear and suffering.
- The Buddha’s famous “Four Noble Truths”: the truth of suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path to contentment and freedom.
- The meditation practice of mindfulness and awareness.
- How to be a “dharmic person” through an exploration of the traditional Buddhist teachings of egolessness, impermanence, gentleness, and peace.
Without an understanding of where our perpetual discontent comes from we continue to search for lasting happiness where it cannot be found. The seeming simplicity of these four truths – we suffer, here’s why, we don’t need to, here’s how – underscore a profundity that has spread Buddhism throughout the world for over 2600 years, bringing liberation to scores of practitioners to this very day. Whether we are seeking complete enlightenment or just wanting to have some release and freedom from the tyranny of our habitual patterns, The Four Noble Truths can provide us with insight and point us in the right direction.
About the teachers
JOEL WACHBRIT has been a member of the Los Angeles Shambhala community since 1989. He has since served in Shambhala in many roles; as Center Co-Director, Membership Director and as the Director of Buddhist Education. He also served as a Shastri for LA Shambhala for four years, retiring in 2020. Joel has been a working guitarist, songwriter and composer for more than forty years and continues to find great joy in the expressive power of music.
DEBRA DYSART has been a student and practitioner in Shambhala ever since she found Pema Chödrön’s Wisdom of No Escape in a bookstore in 1997. She is a Shambhala Art teacher, meditation instructor, and has served as Director of Education and Center Co-Director of Los Angeles Shambhala. Debra sings with the Verdi Chorus and is a member of their board of directors.
