On Feb 14 2026, Venerable Chang Xiang delivered a Dharma Talk on the Four Noble Truths.
Although I am familiar with the Four Noble Truths, I found that in the talk, Fashi delivered some new insights and perspectives on the topic.
In the talk, Fashi used a flow chart to illustrate the inter-connections between the truths themselves. He also showed how the eight types of suffering are rooted in The First Noble Truth of dukkha. A new insight for me as presented by Fashi, was how the 5 aggregates which give rise to the notion of the ‘self’ or ‘I’ are also considered a type of suffering.
Fashi also made the talk engaging, by illustrating the simple yet deep notions around The Four Noble Truths with personal and real-world examples. An interesting perspective on the topic was presented in the form of understanding the truths in terms of Causes and Effects, based on the notion of Dependent Origination. The Second Noble Truth for instance clearly represents the Cause leading to the Effect of Suffering expressed in the First Noble Truth. Similarly The Third Noble Truth represents the Effect of Cessation of Suffering with the Fourth Noble Truth of the Path being the Cause of that cessation.
In summary, I felt that the talk clarified and deepened my understanding of the framework
behind The Four Noble Truths.
With immense gratitude,
By Murali Bashyam
Photo By: Dharma Drum Mountain San Francisco Bay Area Center
