Unpacking The Buddha's First Discourse

Welcome to Episode 4 of Unpacking the Buddha’s First Discourse: The Origin of Suffering.
We’ve cracked open the riddle box—and now we’re getting to the juicy center. Craving. Tanhā. The Buddha doesn’t blame your boss, the economy, or your childhood. He says the root of suffering is craving itself. But what kind of craving? For pleasure? For existence? For non-existence? And how does this inner thirst keep pulling us back into the cycle again and again?

In this episode, we sharpen the lens and go phrase-by-phrase into the Buddha’s diagnosis. What does it mean to seek delight “here and there”? Why is lust mixed in with rebirth? And what might all this have to do with modern life—scrolling, swiping, bingeing, yearning?

Let’s keep unpacking. The landmines are getting louder.