To Kingmarysue, I am 28 living in New Zeland for last 6 years without a car or even a licence, I am not saying that I am Buddha but I try! my best to save the planet and I am sure there are lot of other people out there who go out of their comfort zone to live a more meaningful life than complain and discourage others Arate :)
Enjoyable summary. When i saw the wrong book on show i started thinking "oh wait hang on, is he going to notice..."; it became a distraction, for a short while. An individual's reaction to seeing the wrong book can lead to a bit of stress, a feeling of something not being quite right, or no reaction at all. There can be an attachment to "having the right book on show" or of thigns needing to be "right". This attachment leading to "suffering" in that individual. The original word in the Dhammapada isn't "suffering" it's Dukkha. That can be thought of as 'suffering', 'unsatisfactoriness' or even 'stress'. It doesn't have to be a huge big 'suffering'. So, i guess you put the wrong book on display on purpose, to illustrate a point- it all makes sense now!:)
on fixing that "oops" with regard to showing the wrong book... perhaps you can "annotate" your video in RU-vid and add a text note pointing out the issue and that "oops, the book displayed should be the Dhammpada, not the Gita". Maybe you can even put an X over the Gita or superimpose a picture of the correct text (not sure how much "after the fact" editing can be done in a RU-vid video but I do know that one can at least add a text note).
Although you defined the 1st noble truth incorrectly, your explanation of attachment & unrealistic desires was excellent. Thank you for your excellent teachings. You are an excellent teacher.
Wow, so glad I accidently stumbled upon your video discussions of these great texts! I teach college classes on the Eastern religions and have my students reading the four important texts you discuss. I will be sure to link to your videos for my students to watch. I do have to wonder if you forgot to change the book displayed in this one (you are talking here about the Dhammapada but the book cover displayed is the Gita) - oops.
The first noble truth diagnoses the problem of suffering and advises selfishness (attachment) is suffering. It does not teach life is full of suffering. It teaches when experiences such as birth, aging, illness, death, sorrow, pain, separation, etc, are attached to in a personal way, this is suffering.
If you haven't read it, I highly recommend Gil Fronsdal's translation. He's a Buddhist teacher and serious meditation practitioner in a Buddhist lineage. Easwaran is none of those things.
