http://www.amaravati.org/abm/english/documents/4noble2/data/03intro.html
First Noble Truth: There is suffering.
First Insight of the First Noble Truth: The insight is simply the acknowledgment that there is this suffering without making it personal.
All life is suffering (dukkha)
That acknowledgment is an important insight; just looking at mental anguish or physical pain and seeing it as dukkha rather than as personal misery ? just seeing it as dukkha and not reacting to it in a habitual way.
Second Insight of the First Noble Truth: One should understand dukkha, not just try to get rid of it.
With any form of suffering ? physical or mental – we usually just react, but with understanding we can really look at suffering; really accept it, really hold it and embrace it.
The Third Insight of the First Noble Truth is: “Suffering has been understood.” When you have actually practised with suffering – looking at it, accepting it, knowing it and letting it be the way it is ? then there is the third aspect.
This is the pattern for the three aspects of each Noble Truth. There is the statement, then the prescription and then the result of having practised.
http://www.amaravati.org/abm/english/documents/4noble2/data/04first.html
When we talk about our human suffering, it brings out our compassionate tendencies. But when we talk about our opinions, about what I think and what you think about politics and religion, then we can get into wars.
If anything unpleasant arises we say, ‘Run away!’ If anyone gets in our way we say, ‘Kill him!’ This tendency is often apparent in what our governments do.
(I left off at this section: MORALITY AND COMPASSION)