1. Life Means Dukkha.
To live means to suffer. During everyone's life, there will be suffering at one point or another in the forms of physical and mental suffering.  The definition "suffering" is not literal; it means "stress," or an "awkward feeling."

A few examples of physical sufferings are: pain, sickness, bodily injury, tiredness, and old age.  Examples of mental suffering can include: sadness, fear, frustration, disappointment, and depression.  There are many more examples that can be given in each category, but these are easiest for most people to relate to.

There are many different degrees of suffering.  Of course we do not suffer all of the time, because there are many positive experiences in life such as ease, comfort, and happiness. Life is not perfect because the only thing we can be sure of is change.  We can not change this truth in the world, but we can help others find the positive experiences in life.
 
2. Dukkha is Caused by Tanha.
The origin of suffering comes from the attachments and detachments to temporary ideas, and objects.  In short tanha is caused by craving, rejection, and clinging.  Tanha can be separated into three categories. 

Cravings for sensory pleasures are desires to experience the five senses. These can include wanting delicious food, fragrent perfume, and things of this nature.

Cravings for being are desires of ambition or attainment.  These can include material possessions such as wealth, expensive attire, power, and things of this nature.

Cravings for non-being are a little harder to describe, and many times can be overlooked.  These can include desires for less responcibilty for selfish reasons, wanting to get rid of an emotion that you have, or feelings that you don't want to express.

3. The Cession of Dukkha is Attainable
By freeing ourselves of tanha we will no longer suffer.  Once we overcome all selfish cravings, rejections, and clings, we remove the cause of suffering, therefore we do not suffer.

4. A Path Leading to the Cessation of Dukkha.
There is a path to the end of suffering.  Trying to abolish all cravings at once will most certainly backfire, so you must gradually free yourself of selfish cravings.  The Eightfold Path describes how to follow the middle way between the two extremes of excessive, and insufficient.  Craving, ignorance, delusions, and its effects will disappear gradually, as progress is made on the path.

-Berig