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Pages below were created and posted here during the absence of the hard copy Journal



archive group 1. 1995.
The Tannisho Today
Rev Tairyu Furukawa
On Meditation
Vaughan Evans
From Blood to Rocks
Geoff Carpenter
Tokudo
Rev John Paraskevopoulos
archive group 2. 1996.
The Meaning of Kikyoshiki
Hongwangi International Centre
The Shin Buddhist Way
Rev Jack Austin
A Sutra of Healing and Protection
Tricycle Publications
Reliance
Stllea Ungar
archive group 3. 1996.
Faith in What?
Ajahn Sumedho (summerised by Max Flisher)
The Myokonin
Friedrich Fenzl
Seiza
Toshio Murakami
Three Aspect of the First Nobel Truth

The First Noble Truth with its three aspects is:

1. There is suffering, dukkha.
2. Dukkha should be understood.
3. Dukkha has been [therefore 'can be'] understood.


What is the Noble Truth of Suffering?
(a) Birth is suffering, (b) ageing is suffering, and (c) death is suffering.
(d) Dissociation from the loved is suffering; (e) not to get what one wants is suffering:

(a) to (e) are the five categories of suffering affected [caused] by clinging [or attachment to views].

This Noble Truth must be penetrated by fully understanding suffering.
This Noble Truth has been [can be] penetrated by fully understanding suffering:
Such was the vision, insight, wisdom, knowing, and light that arose in me about things not heard before. (Samyutta Nikaya LVI, 11)

This is a very skilful teaching because it is expressed in a simple formula which is easy to remember, and it applies to everything that you can possibly experience or do or think concerning the past, the present or the future.

The Pali word, dukkha, means 'incapable of satisfying' or 'not able to beat or withstand anything'; always changing, incapable of truly fulfilling us or making us happy.
The sensual world is like that. Contrary to our impulse instinct or first assumptions it would, in fact, be terrible if we did find satisfaction in the sensory world - because then we wouldn't search beyond it; we'd just be bound to it.
However, as we awaken to this dukkha, we begin to find the way out and are no longer constantly trapped in sensory consciousness.