On the Uposatha with a group online and in-person, Tahn Pamutto reflects on the First of the Four Noble Truths. These foundational teachings are not just true, in that they apply to all people, but they are ennobling – they allow us to be better, happier, and to suffer less. The first noble truth is the most clear example of this: simple realities of pain and loss, totally natural experiences, that once understood cease to become disasters but important lessons for living a mortal life skillfully.