The Wisdom of Buddhism
The Buddhist teachings are something that I have found highly useful in my own life and so I have decided to share my thoughts, opinions and the aspects of it that have inspired me most:
THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
LIFE MEANS SUFFERING: To live means to suffer, because the human nature is not perfect and neither is the world we live in.
THE ORIGIN OF SUFFERING IS ATTACHMENT:The things which cause us to suffer are by striving to attain things that are transient - such as wealth, fame, popularity. Craving and clinging to these things will cause us to suffer..
THE CESSATION OF SUFFERING IS ATTAINABLE: We can reach a point where we no longer suffer, and this is through no longer craving and clinging to the various things we desire..
- THERE IS A PATH TO THE CESSATION OF SUFFERING: There is a path by which we can find our way to self improvement and it is known as the Eightfold Path.
THE
EIGHTFOLD PATH OF ENLIGHTENMENT
RIGHT VIEW: Is to see things how they really are. To achieve this we need to completely understand the Four Noble Truths..
RIGHT INTENTION: This is best summed up in it's three aspects:1. the intention of renunciation, which means resistance to the pull of desire, 2. the intention of good will, meaning resistance to feelings of anger and aversion, and 3. the intention of harmlessness, meaning not to think or act cruelly, violently, or aggressively, and to develop compassion.
RIGHT SPEECH: This means - 1. to abstain from false speech, especially not to tell deliberate lies and not to speak deceitfully, 2. to abstain from slanderous speech and not to use words maliciously against others, 3. to abstain from harsh words that offend or hurt others, and 4. to abstain from idle chatter that lacks purpose or depth. Positively phrased, this means to tell the truth, to speak friendly, warm, and gently and to talk only when necessary.
RIGHT ACTION: 1. to abstain from harming sentient beings, especially to abstain from taking life (including suicide) and doing harm intentionally or delinquently, 2. to abstain from taking what is not given, which includes stealing, robbery, fraud, deceitfulness, and dishonesty, and 3. to abstain from sexual misconduct. Positively formulated, right action means to act kindly and compassionately, to be honest, to respect the belongings of others, and to keep sexual relationships harmless to others.
RIGHT LIVELIHOOD: Right livelihood means that one should earn one's living in a righteous way and that wealth should be gained legally and peacefully. The Buddha mentions four specific activities that harm other beings and that one should avoid for this reason: 1. dealing in weapons, 2. dealing in living beings (including raising animals for slaughter as well as slave trade and prostitution), 3. working in meat production and butchery, and 4. selling intoxicants and poisons, such as alcohol and drugs. Furthermore any other occupation that would violate the principles of right speech and right action should be avoided.
RIGHT EFFORT: Right effort can be seen as a prerequisite for the other principles of the path. Without effort, which is in itself an act of will, nothing can be achieved, whereas misguided effort distracts the mind from its task, and confusion will be the consequence. Mental energy is the force behind right effort; it can occur in either wholesome or unwholesome states. The same type of energy that fuels desire, envy, aggression, and violence can on the other side fuel self-discipline, honesty, benevolence, and kindness. Right effort is detailed in four types of endeavours that rank in ascending order of perfection: 1. to prevent the arising of unarisen unwholesome states, 2. to abandon unwholesome states that have already arisen, 3. to arouse wholesome states that have not yet arisen, and 4. to maintain and perfect wholesome states already arisen.
RIGHT MINDFULNESS:It is the mental ability to see things as they are, with clear consciousness. Buddha accounted for this as the four foundations of mindfulness: 1. contemplation of the body, 2. contemplation of feeling (repulsive, attractive, or neutral), 3. contemplation of the state of mind, and 4. contemplation of the phenomena.
- RIGHT CONCENTRATION:The eighth principle of the path, right concentration, refers to the development of a mental force that occurs in natural consciousness, although at a relatively low level of intensity, namely concentration. Concentration in this context is described as one-pointedness of mind, meaning a state where all mental faculties are unified and directed onto one particular object. Right concentration for the purpose of the eightfold path means wholesome concentration, i.e. concentration on wholesome thoughts and actions. The Buddhist method of choice to develop right concentration is through the practice of meditation. The meditating mind focuses on a selected object. It first directs itself onto it, then sustains concentration, and finally intensifies concentration step by step. Through this practice it becomes natural to apply elevated levels concentration also in everyday situations.
THE CONCEPT OF NON-PERMENANCE
The easiest
way to define non-permenance in Buddhism is knowing that nothing will last
forever. Buddhists accept that not even their beliefs will be eternal. Through
understanding this aspect we can learn to let go of things, especially material
things, because none of them will last.
