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Buddhism |
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Of all the religions in the world, Buddhism certainly seems to be the
closest fit to my own beliefs and what I'd like my morals to be. The keys
to the basics of Buddhism are the Four Nobel Truths and the steps of
the Eight-fold Path.
The Four Nobel Truths
The first truth is that suffering exists. What do I mean by suffering? The
easiest way to put it is this; think of how you feel when you think about
your own unavoidable death. Or, think about the unavoidable death of
someone close to you. Do you feel that angst? That tightening in your
throat and chest? That is suffering - also called Dukkha by the
Buddhists. This suffering extends from worrying about your ultimate fate
all the way down to trivial things like fretting about that scratch in
your new car's paint, or worrying about how someone took a comment you
made. The second truth is that it is our attachments and desire for an
impossible reality that brings us that suffering - for example, wishing
that we'd never die. Or that our parents would never die. Or that our
car hadn't been scratched. Regardless of what we WISH for, we must deal
with the reality of our situation. The third truth is that the key to
ending our suffering is within ourselves. Only we can end our suffering
by letting go of our ideas about impossible realities. The final, fourth,
truth is that the Eight-fold Path can help us break our habits of
suffering.
The Eight-fold Path
These are a set of guidelines that you can keep in mind that will help
you to avoid falling into the same old traps that have kept your spirit
captive for most of your life. I have printed them out and placed them
in various places (at my work desk, at home on the fridge, in the
bathroom, etc) to remind me of my path.
- Right View - realizing that we
are the source of our own suffering, and that we can also be the source
of our own freedom.
- Right Thought - acknowledge all of your
thoughts, but only deal with and grow thoughts that are worthy of your
attention.
- Right Speech - try to say things that
are nurturing and helpful - try to avoid saying things that are
negative (even to yourself!).
- Right Action - intrinsically we all
know right from wrong - only do things that do not harm others. Avoid
stealing, try to respect all life and control your desires instead of
letting them control you.
- Right Livelihood - try to earn a
living doing something that is of benefit to others and yourself.
- Right Effort - work hard at ending your
suffering - it won't come easy. Help others to cease their suffering if
they wish it. When we pursue the cessation of suffering with the same
tenacity as a drowning man struggles for breath, we have attained Right
Effort.
- Right Mindfulness - take care of your
mind and body through techniques like meditation, T'ai Chi and Yoga. In
learning more about yourself, you will more easily see the signs of
suffering and be able to adjust.
- Right Concentration - don't be pulled
from the path - especially by others. Instead, gently nudge them towards
the path. When others see the contentment you have attained, they will
hopefully wish it as well.
Just like any other changes in your life, this will take time and effort. Using
these steps will aid you in staying on the path. The point of all of this is
that there is absolutely no reason that you can't be content in every moment
of your life. Only you can choose NOT to be content. The Buddhist way is one
way to bring you back to your natural state - contentment.
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Buddhism Links |
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Barrie Buddhism - a new website for those wishing to
learn more about Buddhism. Focus on Barrie area residents, but all are welcome.
BuddhaNet - a world-wide information site that has all sorts of
good learning tools about Buddhism. Has an extensive free E-Book library!
E-sangha - a huge online community that allows you to view
tons of forums and post questions. Many well-known Buddhists frequent this site.
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