We'd like to share this text written by Nina van Gorkom  on Paramattha Dhammas, which we believe is of great value for our practice.

What is the cause of all misery and sorrow in the world?  We read in the ‘Kindred Sayings’ (Vol. I, Ch. III, iii, par. 3,  The World) that King Pasenadi asked the Buddha: ‘How many kinds of things, lord, that happen in the world, make for trouble, for suffering, for distress?’ The Buddha answered: ‘Three things, sire, happen of that nature. What are the three?  Greed, hate, and delusion; these three make for trouble, for suffering, for distress.

The Buddha says that he teaches only Dukkha and the cessation of Dukkha, that is, suffering and the end of suffering. The First Noble Truth deals with the problem of suffering. However, the truth of suffering is not the final word of the Buddha's teaching. It is only the starting point. The Buddha starts with suffering, because his teaching is designed for a particular end: it is designed to lead to liberation. In order to do this he must give us a reason for seeking liberation. If a man does not know that his house is on fire, he lives there enjoying himself, playing and laughing. To get him to come out we first have to make him understand that his house is on fire.